To Hell and Back
by ThebigW
Summary: Kaede is overwhelmed by events, and retreats for a while into her past. Sango fights to tell Miroku how she really feels, and Urusue returns. Kagome prepares herself, but is it enough, even as Sesshomaru keeps his promise? Rating upgrade to M. IK SM
1. Your Life is Mine, Remember?

InuYasha is owned by the great Rumiko Takahashi. I own nothing, so I want to be in her will.

&&&&&&&

'That worthless copy continues to stand in my way.'

Kikyo had just witnessed her one and only love, whom she now hated more than anything, confess his feelings toward her incarnation by giving her a necklace he had made himself from thin strips of dried oxhide, decorated with small pieces of gold and precious stones he had found and kept to himself during their many adventures. The dead priestess had kept her distance as the event unfolded, cringing as the girl clapped her hands happily before putting on the necklace and hugging the suddenly bashful hanyou.

The miko moved smoothly, silently, through the grove of trees toward the river bank. Her sinewy minions obeyed their mistress' commands without fail, securing her clay body so that it would not fall to the earth below. Their brethren were at this very moment collecting more souls of dead maidens in order that she maintain her corporeal state.

That was becoming more and more difficult.

Urusue's binding spell was losing its power and she could feel her body breaking down at the most minute level. The ogre had revived the dead miko for a very specific task, one she was certain Kikyo would complete within a short period of time. Once that task was over, so too would be the need for the animated corpse. The old witch had been thwarted, however, and then killed by her own creation.

The priestess had used every bit of her skill and ability to sustain herself this past year, consuming souls at an ever increasing rate. The once revered healer had fallen so low as to now resort to predation to satisfy her needs, stalking and killing maidens herself if her catchers failed to retrieve an adequate supply. Had she a heart in that clay body, she might have shed tears over the irony, as well as in remorse. The body of earth and bones was fueled only by hatred, however, and the piece of the soul she still desperately clung to.

Soon her body would completely disintegrate in spite of the number of souls she consumed to sustain it.

"Damn them all!"

She cursed aloud, exasperation expelling itself almost out of her control. The little band of comrades wanted to complete the jewel for their own purposes. She wanted Naraku to complete the jewel for her own purpose. She considered her options briefly before deciding upon the only course of action that was left to her.

She would have to give up her desire to see the jewel completed and in Naraku's possession and focus on her primary mission:

To give up this body and go to hell, and to take InuYasha with her.

&&&&&&&

"Hey! I'm still hungry. Put that back, you little..."

The dog-boy glared at the little foxlet, who swallowed his fear as soon as he was certain Kagome was nearby. He stopped himself from putting the last piece of fish back on the service when he noticed her smiling back at him. Knowing he was safe from harm, he puffed up his chest as his bravado returned.

"I'm still growing. I need all the nourishment I can get. Right **_mother_**?"

He struck his cutest pose for her and she cooed back at her living teddy-bear.

"Aww, isn't that the sweetest thing?"

He was pulling at her strings and she knew he was pulling at her strings, but played his little game anyway.

The monk and the demon-slayer, also seated, glanced at the performance before them, then at one another before chuckling. Shippo was always good for some much needed comic relief.

Shippo gave a quick smirk and then stuck his tongue out at the growling hanyou, who wasn't about to give up so easily.

"I killed three river demons today, and I said I'm still hungry. You got 'till the count of three to hand it over, you little snot, before I go medical on your ass!

The monk laughed out loud as the kitsune quickly lost all his puffery, once again looking pleadingly over at Kagome as his legs began to quiver in fear. Sango had by now stopped laughing, and spoke in an even tone to the frustrated dog-demon.

"InuYasha, that's 'medieval', not 'medical'."

"Shut up, woman. I never asked you. And how the hell do you know, anyway?"

Sango reached behind herself for her pack, and after rummaging for a moment, pulled a small volume from it. It was a copy of a shoujo manga that was going to be quite popular 500 years in the future.

"My friend..." She nodded toward Kagome.

"...brings these with her for me to read when we're not fighting. I'm picking up some interesting terms from her time, such as, "you go, girlfriend", and "who's your daddy?". So, as I said, the term is, "go medieval on your ass", or do you want to read it for yourself?"

Miroku could hardly contain himself as she held out the book to the hanyou. Everyone knew InuYasha read at a very elementary level. Kagome had been working with him using one of Souta's old primers, but he was of course obstinate when he wasn't being lazy, so his development was moving along at a snail's pace.

Sango also knew that it _was _a bit cruel to bring up such a sore subject, but she never liked Shippo to be teased, much less threatened. The kit had grown on her over the time they had been together, and served as a surrogate little brother to her until she could one day rescue her own.

"You think you're so smart, huh? Well I don't care. That little smart-ass has something of mine and I want it."

He turned back to the kitsune, fangs showing.

"InuYasha, stop picking on him." Kagome finally spoke up, the look of annoyance crossing her face.

"Shut up, all of you. He needs to learn just who's who around here, and it looks like I'm the one to teach him exactly where he stands."

"Shut up? Did you just tell **_me _**to shut up?"

Annoyance was replaced with an anger that quickly equaled the hanyou's own.

"If you lay one finger on him..."

InuYasha ignored her, focusing on the kit with the fish still in his hand. It was cold by now, but that no longer mattered. He wasn't even hungry anymore. It was the principle of the thing. He would take guff from Kagome, and the monk ribbed him occasionally, and he even swallowed barbs tossed his way from the huntress, but this little... snot, this was too much.

And anyway, he was tired of Kagome always taking Shippo's side in everything. Just let her try to stop him. He gave the kit his most menacing glare.

"I didn't forget about you."

"InuYasha..." The young miko's voice had warning tones all over it.

"One..."

"Don't..."

"Two..."

"Even..."

InuYasha then stood and adjusted his haori. Kagome had shown him enough. She had chosen the kit over him, in front of all of them. He had enough pride that he wouldn't let her 'sit' him in front of them. His anger suddenly replaced by great disappointment tinged with sadness, he looked at each of them before making his way to the entrance of the hut.

"Thanks everybody, for making me finally understand that I'm less than crap."

He then ducked outside the doorway, and was off into the night before any of the others even made it outside.

"InuYasha! Wait!"

He was already a few hundred paces away from them but still heard her quite clearly. That sound hurt even more because he had fallen for her so deeply. She had shown him kindness, and affection, and something else, even. He had thought, no, knew that things would be different with her, but just like everyone else he had loved, she had betrayed him.

No one really cared. He was just a joke to them, to be used and then belittled. Even by the snot-nosed kit.

He made it to the Goshinboku and stopped, as he didn't know where else to go. Sitting down and leaning back against it's solid trunk, he tried so hard to bind his feelings, to be more like Sesshomaru, but he failed.

This time the hurt was too deep, and it called all the other hurts up from their hidden places within his heart.

'No. Don't do it. Don't do it.'

He cried.

Hiding his face behind one sleeve, he clutched tightly to Tetsusaiga, as it remained his only true friend, his only real protector, and, as the last gift of his father, perhaps his only remaining link to real love.

His heart quaked, and the hurts kept coming.

His mother.

His brother.

Kikyo.

And now Kagome.

He gritted his teeth to choke the sounds of sobbing back down his throat. The necklace. He had worked so hard on it, and on keeping it from her until it was perfect, as close to a reflection of his feelings for her as he could get. And then she...

Why did it hurt so much?

He was so lost in his thoughts that he almost didn't notice.

What was that?

His ears perked up, listening for the rustling sound again. He sniffed the air before catching the familiar scent of the dead priestess approaching. He stood as her visage grew closer until she settled upon the ground in front of him.

"My InuYasha."

"Kikyo."

She took a step closer, and her pale complexion in the stark moonlight made her look even more ghostly.

"Do you remember your promise to me?"

He hung his head.

"Yes."

"Our time has now come."

&&&&&&&


	2. No Reason to Stay

&&&&&&&

Kikyo stepped closer to InuYasha, her burning hatred for him growing with each step, and threatening to consume her before she completed her task. Being this close to him, the raging lust for revenge wanted to kill him now, to rip his body to shreds, to taste his blood. The part of her mind and the piece of the soul that was still hers struggled to regain control of the ash and clay body, however, and, succeeding, moved shaky hands up to caress his face.

That last small piece of her that had loved him completely, that had promised to give up her life as a priestess for him then opened a passageway through the rage and anger, creating a connection directly to his heart.

The magnitude of his pain reached across their connection, and she winced. Had she the ability, she would have shed tears.

"My dearest InuYasha. The pain of betrayal once again reverberates through your body."

She touched his face with her cold hands, and he stiffened slightly before allowing her to embrace him.

"Kikyo..."

"You have grown quite strong, InuYasha. Your strength has brought an end to many powerful, malevolent demons. Your heart, however, and your love, are so tender, that to be offered up to fools who could never hope to truly understand or appreciate them is indeed a crime."

She wrapped her arms about his neck and brought her cheek to his. He raised his arms to wrap about her waist. The memory of her taking a misstep on the dock and falling into his arms when she was alive now flashed into his mind, along with the intense feelings he discovered he had for her at that instant in time. He grasped at those warm feelings in order to alleviate the hurt.

"Thank you, my love, for not rejecting my touch. I despise this cold, dead body as much as I know you do, but it will not be much longer that we will be together, and you shall feel the warmth of my true love for you through eternity."

&&&&&&&

"Sango, do you think you can find him?"

Kagome's worry was evident in her voice, much as she tried to disguise it.

"Kilala can follow his scent, and her night vision is so much better than mine."

Kilala mewed her assent, then transformed to her full size outside of the hut. Sango went inside briefly in order to remove her kosode, coming back outside in her battle suit just in time to meet Miroku, who, standing at the entrance, was about to peek inside.

"Heh, heh... just, ahh, checking to make sure you're all right..." The monk grinned while rubbing the back of his neck.

Sango reached up and touched the part of his cheek that usually got a bright red hand-print for all his troubles. Miroku squinted and flinched, waiting expectantly.

"What am I going to do with you?" She asked wistfully, stroking his face exactly where she had slapped it dozens of times.

The monk was stunned and confused that he wasn't feeling a stinging pain right about now. He opened his eyes and found himself staring directly into hers.

"Sango, I..."

"Unfortunately, now is not the time, Houshi. We have a friend who's hurting and he needs us. But we certainly need to have a long talk, and soon. Let's go, Kilala."

She turned and leapt up onto the neko-youkai. Miroku rubbed his cheek, temporarily at a loss for words.

"Ahh, yes, of course... we're right behind you." He shouted.

The taijiya and her friend took to the sky and headed off after the hanyou. Kagome, astride her bike, followed as the monk ran along beside her. Shippo was in the basket, fretting.

"Kagome, you know I didn't mean to hurt his feelings. I was really going to let him have it. Is he going to be o.k?"

"I know you didn't mean it, Shippo, but InuYasha is a very complicated person, and sometimes what we think of as a simple word or a gesture is enough to make something come to the surface that he's trying very hard to keep to himself."

She sighed. Why was it so difficult to understand him? She hadn't meant to hurt him; they had always had arguments in the past. She fully expected him to rant about as he had often done, then cool off afterwards.

'Oh InuYasha, why do you make it so hard for me? I lo...'

She almost brought herself to think it.

'... I... have such strong feelings for you, and I thought you did for me, but are we really this incompatible? Just when I think I have a grip on who you really are, you go and...'

"That way!"

Miroku's voice snapped her out of her reverie as he pointed due east.

Through the clearing above the forest canopy, they could see light from the flames of Kilala's feet, and adjusted their direction accordingly.

&&&&&&&

Kikyo felt her control slipping. The rage would soon consume her once again, and she couldn't be certain what she would do to him if she completely lost it. She knew that he would give her his life, but she was determined that she would take it only through the feeling of the love they once shared.

He would not die by her hand out of blind hatred. She would simply not allow it.

She locked onto his golden eyes and focused, using all her will power to feel again for their connection, and concentrated upon it.

"Dearest InuYasha, are you ready?" She interlaced her fingers with his.

InuYasha thought once more of Kagome, and how he could have been so mistaken in his feelings for her.

'I'm just _so _stupid!'

He thought of the other companions he had met and roamed the countryside with this past year, looking for the shards, and all they had been through together. He thought of his dream of becoming a full demon, and after a moment of internal struggle, resigned himself that it was simply one more thing that was not to be in this life.

He next thought of his brother, Sesshomaru, and all of the conflict they had caused each other, and about what could have been, what should have been, an unbreakable bond of love and trust between blood brothers. That relationship too, was destined for failure.

He thought about his mother.

She had done everything in her power to guard him, to protect him physically as well as emotionally, knowing deep within her heart what his future held. She bore his pain for as long as she was in this world. It was so long ago. The feelings of her love were like wisps of smoke floating about within depth of his memory.

'Mother. I...'

Kikyo's hand tightened within his.

"Please, my love. We haven't much time."

InuYasha sighed.

"All right. I'm ready."

"You must remove your sword, as it may try to protect you, making it infinitely more difficult for me to take you."

InuYasha stepped away from the priestess for a moment, then pulled Tetsusaiga and its scabbard from his belt. He pulled the sword forged from his father's tooth and examined it one last time, then re-sheathed it. He closed his eyes as he remembered all the times the very same sword saved his life, and now he was giving it up so that it would _not _do so.

Once again he thought of Kagome, without whom the sword would not even be in his possession. Just the thought of her brought back all of those other conflicting, confusing thoughts and emotions. He had loved her with all his heart. Hadn't she loved him back?

Hadn't she?

He shook all of those thoughts from his head and regarded his sword once more. Saying a silent 'thank you' to Tetsusaiga, he replaced it in its sheath. Then, in a quick downward motion, he thrust both sword and sheath into the soft earth.

He walked back over to Kikyo, who now reached out to take his hand once again.

"Once more, my dearest, I ask you. Do you come with me of your free will?"

Oddly, although it hadn't mattered so much to her before, it was very important now that he express his desire to be with her without coercion. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before exhaling audibly.

"There is nothing more here for me, Kikyo. I am ready."

Kikyo summoned all the love she had left in her body and pulled him to her once more, wrapping her arms around him. She brought her face up to his and kissed him lightly upon his lips. She backed away to check his response, gazing into his eyes before pressing her lips to his once again. This time, her cold lips began to draw his life-force out of him through his breath as she did so.

Without Tetsusaiga, his demon blood would have taken over his body if it felt his life was threatened. He had, however, given himself to her freely; thus he felt no threat. Whatever future they found in Hell, they would find together. The winds began to pick up as a vortex formed about them. InuYasha was fast losing consciousness as his body slumped against hers, his life now almost gone. Kikyo continued to take him, and in doing so, experienced something she hadn't felt for a very long time, since she was alive.

Bliss.

This is all she ever really wanted.

The Shikon-no-Tama be damned.

&&&&&&&

ShortPoet: Thank you. I'm trying to examine the depths of Kikyo's persona. InuYasha taking off the way he did was to show that he still has a bit more maturing to go through. We'll see how that plays out.

Hamano Ayumi: Thanks for your comments. It's angsty, but I try to lighten it up a bit.

FluffyAstrael: Kikyo is being Kikyo. Kagome will try to get back what is hers. Classic love triangle stuff. I hope you like how it plays out.

Kingdomnite: Hope the story gets better to your satisfaction. Thanks for your comments.

kagegrl: Thanks. Hope you like this chap.

sunnykagome616: More sadness ahead, with a little humor. Thanks.

Blitzdreamer: Thanks for your comments. Hope you like this.

PaperTazuna: Your comments made my day. I am happy that I could get across the feelings of the participants. Thank you so much.

Yaminah: Thanks. Here's chapter 2. Hope you like.

mikomi bansiki: Both women want what they believe is "theirs". Hope you like this chapter. Thank you!

Kiyana Va Sala: When they are in hell, he won't have the rosary. Thanks for reviewing. What's CYHTM?

Inu miko: Thanks for your comments. Hope you like this as well.

JelloYasha: What a great name! Thanks for reviewing. Kagome will chase Kikyo to get back what's hers, as you will see in future chaps.

ramenloverGoten: Thanks. Hope you like this.

SkyeFire-Katana: Glad you like this one. I'm hoping it gets better. Thanks.

Supergrl26: IY promised Kikyo that he would go with her to hell. I just can't remember what episode it was right now. Thanks.

emalina: Thanks for the review... and the hug!


	3. Battle to the Death

&&&&&&&

Kilala saw it first. She snarled her fear and shock as the scene became clearer the closer she got to them. It caused the hair on her tails to stand straight out.

"Do you see them, Kilala?"

Sango strained her eyes against the blackness of the night before she caught sight of the hanyou and the priestess in their kiss of death far below.

"Oh no! InuYasha!"

She couldn't hurl Hiraikotsu for fear of hitting him, and from the looks of things, he was out cold, or worse. Kilala was diving as fast as she could to get to them. From three-hundred feet, Sango screamed at the top of her lungs.

"You bitch! Get away from him!"

Kilala misjudged her descent slightly and hit the ground right in front of them a bit too fast. She dug her claws into the earth, leaving burning embers in her tracks, pulling up chunks as she skidded past the priestess and her victim, like a housecat trying to stop running on a smooth surface. Sango didn't wait for Kilala to stop, leaping from the big cat and dropping Hiraikotsu to the ground as she ran towards them as fast as she could. She had only one thing in mind. Her friend was in danger of losing his life, and she could prevent it. She wouldn't let it happen again.

Not after Kohaku.

Kilala had by now adjusted her balance to the soft earth surface and was right behind her mistress, growling her own anger over her friend's distress.

Kikyo felt their presence as soon as Kilala had sensed her. She had not yet completed her task as InuYasha's heart was still beating, albeit slowly. True, he was but a hanyou. He was, however, one very powerful hanyou; his heart was strong. That was part of the reason he had recovered so many times in the past from wounds that would have killed lesser demons.

The miko then felt the wave of anger and bitterness return to overtake the gasping wisp of love she had held onto so tightly and crush it completely. She disengaged her lips from InuYasha's and his head fell forward onto her shoulder. A few moments more and it would have all been over. Now comes the taijiya bitch to thwart her plan. Could the worthless copy and the useless monk be far behind? Still clutching a dying InuYasha, holding him up from under his arms, she turned to face her attacker, any evidence of tenderness now completely gone from her visage.

Sango was by now beyond thinking. As soon as she saw her friend's head fall forward, she reacted on instinct, fueled by her own rage.

'No! He doesn't deserve this.'

It was her last conscious thought before she went completely into battle mode. The Sango most people knew was gone now, her body completely taken over by Sango the Warrior, who was now prepared to kill or be killed. There was no middle ground. The blood pounded through her veins as her feet barely touched the earth's surface as she ran.

She was twenty feet away from them when she drew her katana, her subconscious mind gauging all the possible ways she could kill Kikyo before settling on one strategy. She needed to get behind her. She would attack the dead priestess first across the back, putting InuYasha at as little risk as possible. Sango's hope was that she released him after that first attack, and then the dead priestess would be forced to turn and face either her or Kilala. Either way, she or Kilala would continue to attack from behind, and they would seek to drive the miko further and further away from InuYasha until their other friends arrived.

The miko was indeed powerful, but the taijiya was fast and expertly trained. Five feet from her target, Sango feinted a duck, then leapt and tucked in the air as she spun over InuYasha and Kikyo. Completely upside-down in mid-air, Sango's head passed no more than a few inches from the miko's; she could smell the stench of death emanating from her. Kikyo was frozen in position because Kilala was by now upon them as well. The miko just barely completed the incantation to put up the ward spell that blocked the big cat with perhaps a second to spare. Sango took advantage of that brief moment to strike as she came out of her roll, twisting in the air and landing on her feet right behind Kikyo. The first strike went deep, slashing through Kikyo's upper back and sending a two-foot long lock of the priestess' hair flying into the air.

Although Kikyo could not feel physical pain, the breach in the body she used allowed even more precious soul energy to escape. Kilala was frantically searching for the edge of the barrier, her fangs striking at it again and again. The cat would breach it and be upon her any second now. The miko was desperate. She had to kill the taijiya now, or all would be lost.

She released InuYasha, his body slumping to the ground.

&&&&&&&

From a diminishing distance, Kagome saw Kilala and Sango drop from the sky at frightening speed, and knew immediately that something was wrong.

Miroku saw it also.

'Sango.'

They were perhaps a hundred meters away from where the neko-youkai and her mistress went down. The monk tried to increase his speed, his heart pounding, his lungs already burning from the exertion. His mind ran through a hundred worst-case scenarios and he became fearful.

'Sango. Please...'

Kagome also gasped for breath as her legs pumped the pedals as hard as they could. It was no use trying any longer to console the kit, to make believe everything was all right. Her fear and resignation revealed themselves on her face. Shippo's keen senses picked up on all the anxiety and he started to cry for no reason. As they reached the clearing, Kagome immediately noticed Tetsusaiga stuck in the ground off in the distance. The next thing she saw made her heart stop beating.

Kilala's body lay off to the left, where somehow Kikyo had been able to strike her down with one of her arrows. In the middle of the clearing was Kikyo, kneeling over a fallen InuYasha. To the right of her was the most horrifying sight of all.

Dozens of shinidama chuu, many more than Kikyo normally traveled with, had bound Sango, and they were killing her in excruciating fashion. Although she had killed many demons during her short lifetime, Sango was still a maiden, and her soul was also pure. Kikyo was using Sango's soul energy to complete her task.

Many things happened in the span of ten seconds.

"Kazanaa!"

Miroku threw down his staff and unsealed his curse, aiming at the demons holding Sango captive.

Kagome threw down her bike, causing Shippo to have to leap to safety, and started running toward InuYasha and Kikyo.

"Get away from him!"

She screamed at the top of her lungs as she notched an arrow into her bow. She didn't even have to think about infusing it with power; waves of miko energy flowed from her body into the arrow and it took on a will of its own, begging to be released toward its target.

Kikyo, using the last wave of Sango's life energy, actually felt the taijiya die, but that was a minor concern to her; the hanyou was _still _alive!

He... there!

As soon as InuYasha gave up his last, the dead miko felt the power emanating from Kagome's arrow, heard the twang of its release from the bow, felt it moving toward her. In seconds, it would destroy her body and bring ruin to all she had worked for. Frantically searching her rapidly eroding mind for the words to Midoriko's spell, the spell she had learned so many years ago and had never used because it was forbidden to do so, she finally succeeded in recalling the first few words. The rest then came to her as well.

The shinidama chuu dropped Sango's body to the ground and all moved as one to defend their mistress from this last attack. They reached her just as Kagome's arrow did, and absorbed most of the purification wave, disintegrating upon impact.

Kagome had failed.

Before the arrow struck, Kikyo completed her final incantation. InuYasha's body lurched below hers in a sickening way, causing Shippo to squeal in terror.

Kikyo had bound his soul to hers.

She was already dead, but with the last bit of energy remaining in the clay body, Kikyo smiled at Kagome, almost benevolently.

"I... have won. I have... what is mine. The jewel is yours... if you are strong enough... to complete it. I no longer care of its... disposition."

She turned one last time to the dead hanyou before collapsing on top of him.

"Inu... Inu... Ya... Sha..."

Kikyo expelled her last breath saying his name, then she expired, her body disintegrating back to bone and dust right before their eyes. Shippo screamed once again at the horrible sight, and ran off into the night, alone. Miroku exhaled his own anguish, cradling Sango's head in his arms. Kagome was simply overwrought.

"Noooooooo!"

&&&&&&&

Many miles away, the Lord of the Western Lands felt a chill run through his body powerful enough to cause cold sweat to break out on his forehead. Almost at the same time, Tensaiga throbbed almost painfully at his side, causing him to drop the chalice of wine he held. He yelled out before it even crashed to the floor.

"Jaken!"

The toad knew from the tone of his master's voice that he absolutely did _not _want to hear his name called a second time. He appeared, bowing before the tai-youkai, in a matter of seconds.

"Yes, m'lord."

"Collect Rin. We must travel immediately."

&&&&&&&

A/N: Thanks to all reviewers. Shout-outs next time as I wanted to give this holiday gift to you.


	4. Lost in Emotion

* * *

Why? 

Kagome repeated the question to herself over and over.

How had it come to this?

The pivotal argument that started it all seemed so trivial at the time. Could she have known that things would unravel so quickly?

"Please don't leave me InuYasha." She whispered into his ear.

But it was too late. He was gone. His skin was turning pale and the warmth was leaving his body. She buried her head into his chest as she continued to sob out her sorrow. With his spirit now gone, the rosary spell dissolved and it fell apart. Beads and teeth scattered upon the ground. She picked up a few of those pieces.

As she rolled the beads between her fingers, she thought back to the many times that she had "sat" him, and now she wished that she could have the opportunity to "sit" him once more, because that would mean that he was still alive. But if he were alive, she doubted she would ever do that to him again.

"InuYasha, what have I done? I'm so sorry. I never wanted for anything like this to happen. I was stupid, and I wasn't listening when you really needed me, but you must have known how I really feel about you. Why did you leave me like this, and for her, for Kikyo? This just can't be happening."

Kagome was still breathing heavily and strands of her hair clung to her face from the amount of energy she had expended in a very short span of time. Her legs were cramping from the exertion of cycling as fast as she had, and her elbows and knees were muddy from kneeling in the soft earth by his side. She was a mess. But none of that mattered now; she could not have cared less about her own physical condition. Her would-be lover, the one she had often dreamed of having some kind of life with after they found the entire jewel, was now gone. She caressed his face, stroking his pale cheeks, lightly touching his still-soft lips with the tips of her fingers. In her mind, however, she continued to play the scene in the hut over and over and over, the guilt from her thoughtless, careless words to him consuming her. This couldn't be the end. There had to be some other way out of this. She stretched her mind for any possible solution.

'What can I do? What can I do? What can I do?'

She heard a high-pitched squeal over to her left, then. Blinking away her tears, she looked over to find Shippo trying to revive Kilala. The fire neko-youkai had been thrust back into her small form upon being struck down by Kikyo. The arrow had penetrated one of her lungs, and remained embedded in her small body. Shippo, thinking he could somehow save his little friend, had tried to pull the arrow out. But more blood escaped the wound when he did that, staining her beautiful white fur a crimson red. The small kit wrung his hands as he wailed in despair.

"Shippo", Kagome whispered to herself.

She couldn't bring herself to leave InuYasha, but the foxlet was hysterical, and her maternal instincts pushed to the surface of her consciousness through her own sorrow . She gently set down InuYasha and softly called out his name. Shippo bounded over to her as quickly as he could and hopped up into her arms, Kilala's blood on his hands staining the top of her uniform as he clutched her tightly.

"She's d... d... d..."

He hiccupped into her shoulder, his tears soaking her blouse.

As Kagome tried to console the kitsune, she heard a choked sob from behind her, and turned to regard the monk as he wept over the huntress' prone form. Another wave of sadness swept over her, threatening to crush her spirit completely.

"Miroku. Sango."

This was a nightmare. Less than an hour before, they were all happily eating supper. And now, this awful tragedy had stricken them. What had they done to deserve such a horrible fate? Hadn't they always done their best to protect the weak, to destroy evil demons? The forest was deathly quiet now, as if all of the denizens within it held their collective breaths, waiting.

Miroku gently lifted Sango, and moved her body over to a nearby moss-covered thicket, whereupon he carefully set her down once more, kneeling beside her. He tenderly moved errant strands of her raven hair away from her beautiful, now pale face. Kagome stood and approached him cautiously, almost as if she were afraid of what he might do in his current state of mind. As she reached him, she placed the hand that wasn't supporting Shippo on his shoulder. He turned and looked up at her with tear-filled eyes. His mouth opened and he mouthed a single word, but no sound came out.

"Why?"

Kagome had no answer to his question, her own mind straining to retain its sanity. They had battled and killed many demons during their time together, and many times each had been injured, often seriously. They never had to suffer through the death of one of their comrades, however, and now half of their team was gone. It was overwhelming, yet a small voice continued to touch her consciousness through the calamity.

'I have to be strong. I have to be strong. I have to be strong.'

Kagome repeated this litany to herself as she hung on to her bearings with everything she had. She knelt down next to Miroku and embraced him, trying her best to comfort him. Onto this scene came the elder miko.

"Dear Kami-sama, what has happened here?"

Kaede had followed them through the night as quickly she could, only now coming upon the scene. She immediately knelt to the fallen Sango and felt for a pulse, only to confirm to herself what the others already knew. Looking up, she glanced over at InuYasha's prone form, and then back to Kagome, who shook her head slowly.

"Was it my sister?"

"Yes, I... I almost..."

Again, the wave of guilt swept over Kagome.

"But... I couldn't stop her."

"And what of Kilala?"

Kagome wordlessly pointed over to where the small cat lay. Kaede thought for a moment before speaking.

"Kagome, we must perform the sacred ceremony so that their souls will not wander aimlessly in the afterlife."

Kagome was exhausted, both physically and emotionally, so her response caught Kaede completely off guard.

"No! Are you completely blind? Are you stupid? Can't you see what's just happened?"

The elder miko, seeing the pain evident on the girl's face, forgave her immediately.

"Oh Kagome..."

As soon as she vented, and realized what she had said, Kagome actually felt even worse. How was that possible? She clutched handfuls of the soft earth as she choked out her apology.

"I'm so sorry, Kaede, please forgive me, but I don't want to think about that right now. I'm trying my best, but I don't think that I can handle all of this."

Kaede was as shocked and saddened as any of them. However, she knew what needed to be done, and tried to be firm yet gentle as she spoke.

"I understand that completely my child, however, ye have accepted your duty as a miko. Ye know this, and I cannot allow the neglect of your responsibility, no matter how poorly ye might be feeling at this time. This tragedy has affected all of us."

She turned to Miroku, who had once again taken Sango's head into his arms and was rocking back and forth with her as he stroked her cheek with his own. His fingers lightly and tenderly stroked across her soft eyebrows, her lashes, her nose and her lips with the delicacy of a feather. He kissed her forehead, his hot tears running in rivulets down the sides of her face.

"Sango..."

Having taken every opportunity to grope her in a most lascivious manner in the past, he was now more intimate with her than he would ever have imagined he could be. From somewhere deep within him, he sensed that this was what she had always ever really wanted from him. He had had numerous opportunities to share exactly this with her, but he had been too self-centered, and his ego had ultimately failed him, failed them. Kaede deeply felt the pain of his broken heart, but she could not let him become consumed by it.

"This goes for you as well, monk."

Kaede reached down to stroke Sango's hair as she continued.

"This child has had a most difficult life, has fought valiantly for as long as she could, and against great odds. She has lived with great tragedy and little happiness, and the end to her life has indeed been horrific."

The touching eulogy, and the vivid memory of a very much alive and vibrant Sango, almost caused Kaede to choke on her own words. She composed herself, however, before continuing.

"Would ye deny her soul a chance at peace after all she has been through?"

The monk wiped his tear stained eyes with the sleeve of his robe. With his other hand still clutching Sango's, he nodded his agreement.

"You... you are right, Lady Kaede. It is just that I never spoke to her of... of... I thought I had so much more time. I never realized that... I wanted to tell her so much, and now..."

Age and experience had taught Kaede many things, not the least of which was to act upon one's feelings and validate them quickly, while one had the opportunity to do so, because life and fortune were fickle, revealing a slender chance for but a moment, and then perhaps never again. She would not lecture the monk or the younger miko, however. The fates had driven home their lesson with brutal efficiency.

"Miroku, I understand completely. I wish that I could say more. I wish that I could do more. Please make your peace with her. We... we have much to do."

Kaede put her hand on Kagome's shoulder, nodding to her that they should leave those two alone for the time being. Shippo had by now stopped crying, and, exhausted, had actually fallen asleep in Kagome's arms. Kagome rose slowly to her feet, the hand on the monk's shoulder giving it a slight squeeze before she turned to follow the elder miko.

They barely made it half the distance to where InuYasha's body lay when a cloud of energy appeared on the horizon, becoming larger and brighter as it rapidly approached them. Seemingly within seconds, the cloud descended and the tall and regal form of InuYasha's older brother could clearly be seen astride it.

"Sesshomaru!"

The elder tai-youkai alighted upon the earth so smoothly that it appeared as if he was skating across a frozen lake. Immediately, he made his way to where his brother lay. His sharp senses picked up the scent of the dead miko mixed in with his brother's. His keen mind quickly put the pieces together, and he muttered under his breath.

"Baka! You let the dead priestess take you."

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Kagome called out to him, as she ran up to him.

"Stop where you are, miko! Keep your distance if you value your safety. My brother was a fool to associate with the likes of you, and now he has paid the price for his foolishness."

"But Lord Sesshomaru... I didn't..."

"You did not kill him, that is true. Neither did you protect him. You are weak. All of you humans are weak. And that weakness has cost him his life."

Kagome took a moment to process his words, and then her anger and hysteria overcame her.

"How dare you lecture me when you were never around for him, except when you tried to kill him, to take from him what was rightfully his! He depended upon us, he... he loved us, all of us. We were like his true family. We all loved him, _I _loved him..."

Kagome stopped short in the middle of her sentence as she was struck dumb by her admission to Sesshomaru, and to herself. Kaede had by now reached her and grabbed onto her arm. Sesshomaru regarded them coolly before continuing.

"You will address me with the proper respect miko, or I shall be forced to remind you to whom you are speaking, and it will not be a pleasant reminder. Now, step away from business that is not your own."

"Why you pompous, insufferable..."

Kagome could not complete her sentence, because Kaede had yanked her arm to silence her. Meanwhile, Sesshomaru stepped forward to stand over his brother, and drew his sword, Tensaiga. The sword, which normally glowed brilliantly when it's spell was about to be invoked, remained oddly inert. His puzzlement over this did not show, however. He waved it once over his brother's body.

Nothing happened.

Sesshomaru was actually startled, but one couldn't tell from the expression on his face, or lack thereof. This had never happened before, the sword had always succeeded in resurrecting his intended. He tried again.

Nothing happened.

The tai-youkai's face contorted almost imperceptibly as his mind worked on this problem. The answer soon came to him, but his only physical response was the slight arch of one eyebrow.

'So... she has indeed bound her soul to his. I must think on this a bit more.'

By this time, the dragon carrying Jaken and Rin and settled down a few meters behind Sesshomaru. Rin hopped off and scurried over to her lord and protector. Jaken hurried to keep up with her.

"My lord, we tried our best to keep up, but you were moving so fast that... Yahh! But that's InuYasha there on the ground! Is he... is he dead?"

The imp then stepped forward and poked at the body with the end of his staff.

"Yes... Yes, indeed. He is certainly dead. How did this..?"

"Silence, Jaken!"

"My apologies, Lord Sesshomaru."

After pondering the situation for a few moments more, realization dawned on Sesshomaru. He tuned and faced the two women.

"Mikos, come before me."

Kagome was still shaking, partly over the events that had transpired and partly due to the anger and helplessness she still felt. She almost replied to him that her name was not miko, when she felt Kaede grasp her arm once more and pull her in his direction. The old woman understood that without InuYasha's intervention, their lives were at the tai-youkai's whim. He was extremely powerful, and for whatever reason, he was also extremely upset over his brother's demise, much as he tried to disguise that fact. Neither could he revive his brother as was his intention. This made him even more dangerous than he normally would be. Kaede had recognized the extreme emotional volatility of the situation and would do her best to prevent any further loss of life. The pair made their way to stand before Sesshomaru, Kaede bowing in deferential fashion, one hand on Kagome's shoulder, urging the girl to do the same.

"What do you wish of us, Lord Sesshomaru?"

"In order for me to resurrect my brother, I must break the binding spell that the dead miko has placed upon and between the two of them. This must be done before his body begins to rapidly deteriorate."

Kaede gasped.

"You don't mean Midoriko's forbidden spell?"

"That is correct."

"Oh, Kikyo. How could you have done such a thing, my poor sister?"

"That is a question that may never yield an answer. However, there does exist a way to return his soul to the vicinity of this body in order that Tensaiga may do its work successfully."

Sesshomaru's steel gaze moved from one woman to the other, elder to younger, before settling on Kagome.

"Girl, was there any truth to your utterance earlier?"

Kagome tried to remember everything she had said in order to pinpoint exactly what the tai-youkai could be referring to. Could he mean...? Sesshomaru spoke again.

"You said that you loved my brother. Was that a truthful statement?"

Kagome clutched a still snoring Shippo tightly. Sesshomaru's golden eyes bored directly into her as if they could see the truth without her having to answer his question. All this time, she had kept it to herself. In the deepest recesses of her heart, she had tried to keep her true feelings hidden from _him_, from them all.

And even from herself.

Now, after everything else that had just happened, she was being asked to bare her soul, to publicly make an admission where, once the words were spoken, they could not ever be taken back. She opened her mouth to say it, but it fought back against her, wanting to remain within the security of its hidden place. Sesshomaru waited, the only thing moving about him were the locks of his frost colored hair billowing in the wind. Why was this so difficult? A simple word, and all she had to do was say it. She glanced once more over to where he had fallen, and finally, it issued forth.

"Yes." She whispered.

Although he had heard her perfectly, Sesshomaru wanted to be absolutely certain of her conviction.

"Did you say something?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes! I... I love him! You would know this had you seen what we have been through together, what we've meant to each other after all of this time."

Kagome exhaled as if a heavy weight were lifted from her. At her exclamation, Shippo awakened, and immediately sensing the tai-youkai, gasped and clutched even more tightly to the girl.

"That is good. What I shall require of you next will take all of that feeling you have and more in order for us to succeed. We shall have to work quickly."

Kagome looked questioningly up at the tall demon before her.

'For _us _to succeed?'

"Sesshomaru, why do you want to save him?"

"That is of no concern to you."

"But you..."

"Lord Sesshomaru, would you kindly excuse us. For just a moment?"

Kaede bowed to him politely, and the tai-youkai surprisingly returned her politeness with just a touch of magnanimity.

"I will grant you but a moment. We have little time. Do not try my patience." He still regarded them warily.

Kaede pulled Kagome aside, far enough away that they were hopefully out of earshot. The elder miko spoke in hushed tones in any event, knowing that the tai-youkai's hearing was extremely acute.

"Kagome, do ye understand what is happening?"

"Kaede, I... I don't know what you mean."

"Look around ye, girl, what do ye see?"

Kagome looked questioningly about her to the left, and about 20 meters away from them was Sesshomaru. Clutching his leg was his young ward, and a few feet farther away from the two of them was the imp. About 15 meters to the right of that group was... Tetsusaiga! He had to have sensed its presence since he arrived, yet he had made no move to acquire it, even though it was there for the taking. Kagome thought for a moment and finally realized what Kaede had been trying to get her to see for herself.

Sesshomaru was indeed far more concerned about his brother than the Tetsusaiga itself, the very sword he had been trying to acquire since she had drawn it from its place in their fathers tomb.

"Do ye understand now?"

"Yes, I think so."

"All right then, we must proceed with caution, choosing our words very carefully."

The two then made their way back to the tai-youkai, bowing respectfully once more.

"What would ye have us do, Lord Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru looked at the young miko, and without blinking replied.

"I must kill you."

Kaede gasped, as her suspicions regarding his method had proved correct. Kagome stood silently, her mouth a thin line of firm resolve. She knew that she would do anything to get InuYasha back. But would she die for him?

Yes.

Sesshomaru regarded her reaction to his statement before continuing.

"You're soul must be released from this body in order to find his. You must use the feelings to which you have just admitted to assist you in your search. If she has taken him to Hell, then you must use every ounce of your other abilities to survive the journey. It will not be an easy task. When you have located him, you must speak an incantation to unbind his soul from the miko who took him. Do you agree to this?"

Kagome thought for a moment and was about to answer when something else came to mind. He could use Tensaiga to revive Sango!

"I'll only do it if you revive Sango right now."

"Do not dare to place conditions upon me, miko. The life or death of the taijiya is of no concern to me."

The tai-youkai was beginning to lose his patience, however, he would not allow them to see him in any state other than one of complete control. Kagome stepped into this high stakes game, only guessing at what the outcome might be, but praying that she could get what she wanted. She would do anything to help revive InuYasha, and she absolutely hated using his life as a trump card in a game such as this, but his own friend Sango had given her life for him. And Kagome instinctively knew that even if InuYasha were to be revived, he would never forgive himself for being responsible for her death, no matter how much he would "feh" that it meant nothing to him. This could be the only chance she would have to give Sango another opportunity at a life she truly deserved.

"Lord Sesshomaru" she began, making certain to address him respectfully as she also bowed.

"This woman gave her life to try to save InuYasha, as did Kilala. Although they failed, doesn't it matter to you that they showed your brother the highest kind of honor and loyalty possible? Surely you can see it. You must. They lost their lives trying to save his. They never even thought of their own safety, they were so concerned that they could save him. Whatever the situation is between your brother and yourself that has caused such conflict between you, surely you must, in your position, understand how rare that is?"

Kagome exhaled and waited, not knowing _where _that had come from. It was likely the desperation of the situation. Sesshomaru pondered her words. A demon must be strong, independent, unlike his half-brother. A demon must live a self-sustaining life, needing nothing from anyone. That was how he lived, needing nothing...

But wait.

What about Rin? Or even Jaken. Didn't he need them? No. In the blink of an eye, he could continue his existence without either of them, if need be.

That was a lie.

He was always brutally honest, especially with himself. That would not change now. Something about the girl's words reached him, and, thinking for a moment longer, he relented.

"I was not aware of her sacrifice for his sake. I will do as you ask."

He walked over to the fallen Sango, all eyes upon him.

"Step away from her, monk."

Miroku looked up at the imposing dog demon standing over him. He had not heard the conversation between Sesshomaru and the two mikos. All he knew was that Sango had left him and he wanted to spend as much time as he could with her, holding her, before her body was put to rest. He didn't understand that Sesshomaru was there to revive her. All he saw was his enemy, and that enemy also wielded a sword.

"Stay back, Sesshomaru. Don't you come near her or I'll kill you, I swear it." He hissed.

"I have no time for this, monk. I shall instruct you but once more to stand aside..."

Sesshomaru then sheathed Tensaiga and grasped the hilt of Tokijin. Kagome's condition had only included reviving Sango. The monk would not stand in the way of his completing that task. As Sesshomaru drew Tokijin, Miroku released the seal on his kazanna.

Time stood still.

In less than a second, Sesshomaru had figured out his moves in order to reach and kill the monk. He would make three moves at unmatched speed to get to the left of the monk, and then sever his head. He raised his sword as Miroku aimed his kazanna. The tai-youkai took the first step at blinding speed, then stopped abruptly at the sound.

"Stop it!"

Kagome screamed at the top of her lungs, causing the dog demon to stop dead in his tracks. Miroku also clutched the spiritual seal to stop the wind tunnel. Both men looked over at the young miko, who came running toward them.

"Please, Sesshomaru, he doesn't know what he's doing. He means no disrespect to you. Miroku, he's only trying to help. He's going to revive Sango, but you have to get out of his way."

Miroku processed Kagome's words, then warily looked up at the impassive face of the tai-youkai. Kagome ran around them to grab his arm and lead him a safe distance away.

Sesshomaru sighed to himself that this was taking so much longer and involved so many more humans than he had anticipated. He would make his foolish brother pay for all of this when he was brought back to them.

He sheathed Tokijin and raised Tensaiga once more.

* * *

A/N: Next - descent into Hell, but not before yet another twist... 

**An Anonymous Narrative Writer**: Sorry you don't like Shippo. He is a pain at times, but I think he's learned his lesson. Besides, I can't think of any way he would get into real trouble with Kags. She spoils him rotten, sometimes. Thanks for reading.

**Mariya Nietsu**: Thanks, and I'm glad it's caught your interest. Hope this chap is as good.

**AriznGlori**: He won't open the portal, wait until you see how that happens! Sorry I couldn't get this out faster, I had software problems. I think they are all solved, now. Thanks, and... sorry!

**atth99**: Thanks for waiting. I hope it was worth it.

**ShortPoet**: You pose a lot of questions, some of which are answered in this chap, others, the answers would be spoilers as they're coming later. As always, thanks for your feedback.

**Krazie-edge**: THANK YOU!

**Inu miko**: Thanks for your comments, and I hope you like this.

**ShadowYoukai87**: I have written the next chapter. Thanks for your comments and I hope you like it.

**Nysoku-loves-Sesshomaru**: Yes, he cares, and we'll see why a bit later. Thanks for your review.

**Kiyana Va Sala**: There is a hole in the safety net, as you can see, so you were almost right :) Thanks for the review. I hope to drop some other things in that you don't expect. Heh.

**Yami-Mekayla**: Thanks for your comments. I'm glad you like it and hope this chap is as good.

**The Evil Liar**: Thanks for your insight into Kikyo. I hope it gets better the farther we go.

**To everyone else reading**: Thanks, and any comments or criticism is welcomed. I am no expert on InuYasha, but I really have recognized an emotional connection to the characters that has compelled me to write about them. Please don't hesitate to give me a swift kick if I've done something completely idiotic.

Ja ne.

W.


	5. Death of a Taijiya

&&&&&&&

'Am I..?'

Sango's consciousness was adrift, passively floating within a sea of warm, undulating sensation. Her acute sense of anguish and futility over her inability to stop Kikyo, as well as the mind-numbing pain that preceded her death, soon melted into a feeling of detached calm, of peace. Her heightened awareness also detected the soothing scent of something resembling sakura blossoms as she moved through the nothingness. She was a bit puzzled, thinking she had been completely destroyed by the priestess. The abomination that was once Kikyo merely consumed a soul's energy, however. The kernel of the soul itself was indestructible, immortal. Sango felt no fear. On the contrary, she couldn't remember feeling more protected, ever.

Her body, such as it was, began to relax as the stress of her lifetime upon the earth gradually began to evaporate. She could sense a presence waiting patiently for her, allowing her to bask in this feeling for as long as she needed. A huntress in life, she _knew _that she need hunt no longer. Everything she had ever wanted in that life was right here, right within her grasp. As she contemplated this, it was at first overwhelming, coming as she had from a lifetime in which she had to fight for everything, often even to preserve life itself. She acknowledged the presence and silently thanked it even as she indicated her readiness. Presently, the story of her most recent incarnation began to reveal itself to her, chapter by chapter, starting with her entry into the world.

Sango's birth had turned out to be quite a difficult one for her, as well as for her mother.

Indeed, her mother had become so ill during and after childbirth that she couldn't properly care for her, and one of the other village women had to care for as well as wet nurse the infant. She and her mother thus lost the singular opportunity to experience post-natal bonding, a situation from which their relationship with each other would never fully recover. Until the day she died, Sango's inability to get close emotionally to anyone other than her father and her brothers would often be mistaken for aloofness, or worse, condescension.

Already, at the very beginning of her life, she was a step behind, her efforts forever after a continued attempt to catch up. She looked on as the play that was her life continued.

The life of a demon-slayer was indeed a difficult one. Many of Sango's family, aunts, uncles and cousins among them, left on expeditions at the request of their patrons. Some never returned. Early on, she would ask as to their whereabouts, only to be told that their spirits had gone to reunite with the Great Spirit. As she got older, and until she was actually of age to accompany her clan on expeditions, Sango made a point of requesting some small personal token from each member of the departing team, perhaps a ring or a pendant, with a promise to return it to them when they came back. For those whose remains were carried back for burial, Sango was allowed to place the tokens they had given her alongside their bodies during the Ritual of the Final Sleep. And for those whose remains were never recovered, who were either eaten by demons or their bodies lost or completely destroyed during battle, the young Sango kept their tokens in a small shrine she maintained in her area of the hut. Periodically, when she was not training, or keeping house, or learning to cook (she did want to become a dutiful wife and mother herself one day), she sat in contemplation and prayer with those reminders of friends and family who she would never see again, but to whom she made a vow to never forget.

Death was an occupational hazard among the taijiya clan, and so they celebrated life whenever they could, through the myriad of festivals they held whenever they were not training, or off hunting. Often, the men would drink a bit too much of the rice wine, and, human nature being what it is, things sometimes got out of control.

High levels of alcohol and testosterone are a perfect combination to induce, at best, wild tales of the most boastful nature. At worst, it can enable situations to often spiral out of control, turning innocent forms of competitive one-upsmanship into physical, often bloody violence. Of course the women had to then intervene and collect their men, saving them from themselves, chiding that they inflicted more damage upon each other than any demon ever could. One such episode involving Sango's own father brought back that memory quite vividly. She had been three years old at the time, and as her mother rolled her father into his sleeping mat, then went off to finish what she was doing, Sango made her way over to him. She hadn't understood why okaa-san was so cross with him. After observing his sleeping features for a moment, and looking back over at where her mother was working, she grasped his kimono with her little fists and climbed up onto his rumbling chest, awakening him for just a moment.

"Sango-chan..."

He mumbled as he wrapped an arm around her to prevent her from falling off. Then he went back to sleep. She put her head down on his chest and followed him soon after, his snoring having a marvelously relaxing affect on her.

As another, later life-episode revealed itself, she sat beside him as he crafted an early version of Hiraikotsu, smaller and lighter than the one she would eventually carry with her. He patiently worked with her as she again and again dodged its return to her out of fear of being struck by it. She simply couldn't gauge its speed correctly in order to catch it. Sensing her frustration at her inability to please him, he ended the training session early.

"I think that's enough for today. Are you hungry?"

"Hai, jifu."

"Let's see what we can get our hands on while your mother is distracted."

Her disposition brightened immediately, a smile spreading across her face.

"O.k."

Her father was her first love. She would have walked through fire if he asked her to.

Through these moments-of-life, Sango reviewed her early years. Her story continued through her childhood, including the birth of her brother Kohaku, when she was five years old, and then Kuwato, when she was nine.

Although Sango loved Kohaku dearly, she and Kuwato were inseparable; she had begged for every opportunity to help with him, pleading that she was old enough to do so. Her mother was thankful to have such a dutiful daughter as she had become pregnant once again. Soon, out of necessity, the young Sango became Kuwato's main caretaker. As such, she would often nuzzle and coo to him as she bounced him on her lap, or waddled with him on her hip, or strapped him to her chest as she went about her chores. Luckily for all, Sango was a big girl for her age, and surprisingly strong. The other women of the clan always laughed when they saw her with her brother, carrying him about as if he was the prince of the realm. Sango didn't care. Kuwato might as well have been her own son, as much as she fussed over him.

Then her nightmare began.

Sango's mother had fallen ill once again, seemingly never able to adjust to the stresses of pregnancy. Sango wanted to make some tea to alleviate her mother's discomfort and had gone to the storage area, only to find that the herbs she needed were all gone. She resolved then to ask some of the other women of the village, and wrapped Kuwato to take him along after she cleaned and changed him. Four-year-old Kohaku was very sleepy just then and was starting to doze off. He had helped her that afternoon carry water from the well in a little bucket their father made just for him, and hadn't napped yet, so she tucked him into his sleeping mat after giving him a treat of sweet bean paste. He was sound asleep within minutes.

After checking that everything else was as it should be, she set Kuwato down near his brother and went to their mother's bedside. She knew that although he had been weaned, her youngest brother was still somewhat spoiled, and would want to nurse as soon as he saw his mother, who was in no condition for that right now.

Besides which, he was teething.

"Okaa-san, I'm leaving now. Kohaku is asleep, and I'm taking Kuwato."

"Sango-chan, you are the most wonderful daughter a mother could ask for. I will make it up to you, I promise." Her mother said weakly.

After kissing her mother goodbye, Sango went to collect her youngest brother and leave. She would have to hurry, as it was getting dark and she would need to help with supper. Actually, she would be the one to prepare supper, with as much help from her mother as the woman could provide in her condition.

Sango hurried about from hut to hut, each answer to her request the same.

"I'm so sorry, dear, but we haven't any right now."

After leaving the fifth dwelling with the result being the same, Sango thought about her options. She knew where she could find some of the herbs. There was a grotto about a half mile outside the village to the southeast. If she moved quickly, she could get there and back within half an hour. The thought of making the trip continued to tease her even as her father's words rang again and again in her head.

'Never leave the village alone, much less so when it's dark.'

But her mother was suffering, and if Sango could get the herbs and brew the tea...

Before she could talk herself out of it, Sango approached the gate. The sentry was on guard, and, smiling as he recognized her, knelt to speak.

"Well, if it isn't Sango-chan! And her "son" Kuwato. Heh heh. Your father is away with the second group, that's right. What are you doing here? Don't tell me you want to leave the village at this time in the evening?"

"Hai, Boaku-sama. Mother is not feeling well and I need to get the wild-wort to make tea for her. No one has any left, so I need to go to the southern grotto."

"I'm so sorry, but I couldn't let you do that, little one. Nightfall is approaching and... what!"

They both turned in the direction of the crashing sound. Loud, argumentative voices followed. Instinctively, Boaku ran off to investigate. Sango didn't let the opportunity pass, and slipped outside the gate.

As she calculated, it took her about twelve minutes to reach the grotto. Kuwato began to get restless and bleated out his desire to eat and sleep. Sango took a piece of sweet root from her pouch and bit the end off with her teeth before sucking the sap up to the end. She then placed the tip against his gum, where surprisingly, another tooth was forming. It wasn't long before he was smacking away contentedly. That would have to do until they got back home and she could prepare his evening meal.

At the grotto, she recognized in the diminishing light the opening to the rock formation which was actually a small cave about fifteen feet above ground level. She would have to climb up in order to enter the cave, but she had done so before; all she needed was to remember the hand and footholds. The herbs grew within, flourishing in the damp darkness, not unlike mushrooms. Sango looked about to make certain the area was clear, and then set her brother down upon the soft grass at the base of the rock formation. He continued to coo as he exercised his gums on the piece of root.

"I'll be right back, Kuwato. I can't climb up with you. Don't be afraid, o.k?"

She kissed his forehead and fussed about him some more, making certain he was bundled up properly to prevent a chill, and then began her climb, carefully recalling all the hand and footholds.

Even in the darkness of the cave, she could tell by their smell and feel that she had found what she was after, and in a matter of moments, had collected more than enough for her needs. The rest she would offer to the other village women to replenish their supply.

Young Sango then felt her way out of the darkness and into the twilight, and before turning feet first for her descent, she peered over the edge of rock face to check on her brother. Immediately and simultaneously, her breathing stopped, her blood pounded in her ears, and a chill seized her young body.

He was gone.

"K... Kuwato!"

Dropping the pouch containing the herbs, she scurried down the rock face, actually slipping and falling the last five feet to the ground, twisting her left ankle. She frantically looked about.

"Kuwato!"

This could not be happening. Her young mind tried to process the situation. Where was he?

Then she heard him scream, a shrill, high pitched wail, and her blood curdled. Unsheathing the small blade she carried, she took off in the direction of the sound. Her heart hammered away, much too big for her ribcage.

He was all right.

He was all right.

He was all right.

Whatever had happened, she only had to get to him, and then everything was going to be all right.

The smaller branches of the thicket cut into her arms and cheeks as she ran, and the pain from her ankle sprain shot up through her leg as she stumbled forward, but she had no time to hobble, never slowing in her single-minded determination to find him, to reach him, to save him. Two things dominated her consciousness, the intense desire to get to him, and the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that screamed at her that it was already too late.

She reached a clearing and stopped dead in her tracks. A bat demon, the size of an adult Akita, had Kuwato in its clutches, and was flapping about, trying to gain enough wind to take off with its catch. It would get about five feet off the ground, then Kuwato would slip from its clutches, hitting the ground with a sickening thud. It flapped its wings and grappled the infant to try again, even as it bared its teeth at the young girl, daring her to come any closer. Then she noticed that Kuwato was not moving, and her insides melted.

With a shriek that came from parts unknown inside her, Sango ran toward the demon, and it charged her as well, not wanting to relinquish its gain. It struck first, sinking its teeth into her shoulder. The pain was blinding, but Sango remembered her father's training, and thrust upward with her blade, sinking it into the beast's abdomen, despite its efforts to dodge her counter-move. It screeched but continued its attack, biting her once again, and its talons sliced across her back as it clawed at her, but Sango cut through one of its wings with her next strike. It struck her with the other wing to throw her off balance, and succeeded in doing so, both combatants falling to the ground in a macabre dance of death.

One thing dominated Sango's mind. If Kuwato was still alive, then she would _not die_ tonight.

Not tonight.

The beast released her shoulder and attacked her throat with its next attempt, but Sango blocked its move with her forearm, feeling the sting of its teeth through her flesh once again. It left itself exposed with that all-or-nothing attack, however, and, looking into yellow eyes not even a foot away from her face, Sango sank her blade right into its heart.

Again.

And again.

It hissed as it relaxed its grip on her arm before falling from her, dead. In her rage and anguish, she continued to stab it, its blood spurting out, covering her arms and torso.

She then dropped her weapon and crawled painfully over to where her brother lay. Cradling him in her arms, she rocked back and forth, singing to him the lullaby that was his favorite. It was his last.

That was how Boaku and the other men found her.

&&&&&&&

Even as the women gently lay her bandaged body upon her mat, Sango could hear her mother's wailing as she was given the awful news. The sound cut through her, leaving her raw. Kuwato was dead, and it was _her fault_. The pain from her physical wounds was almost exhilarating compared to thousands of knives stabbing at her heart. Sango didn't know if she could continue to live with the agony. She couldn't bring herself to ask forgiveness of her mother or even her father. She contemplated the look on his face when he returned home to the awful news. She could never, would never forgive herself. At that moment, at nine years old, Sango closed her eyes and begged for death, if only it would take her.

&&&&&&&

Of course, Sango's mother went into early labor as a result of the added stress of losing Kuwato. The baby was stillborn, a girl. Another knife into Sango's heart. She survived, however. Somehow, from somewhere, the young girl found the strength within her to move forward. The angst over that episode of her life was one of the things that fueled her desire to become the best of the Taijiya clan, even though she was one of the youngest.

As she watched the story of her early life continue, Sango felt the immense wave of guilt arise once again. In spite of her father's continued consolation, Sango never found redemption for those two lives lost. Later, had not that deep-seated emotion caused her hesitation for the briefest of moments, there might have even been a third.

Sango had finally caught up with Kohaku after he had tried to kill Kagome upon Naraku's command. After knocking him to the ground, she promised to put and end to his misery.

"Kohaku, you don't have to worry any longer. I'm going to take your life, and then kill myself. You won't have to wander the afterlife alone. I'll be right there with you."

She raised her blade to deliver the killing blow, a quick strike to sever his carotid artery. That was the quickest and least painful method she knew of to take his life.

As her tears blurred her vision, her hand paused for just a fraction of a second as she thought. First Kuwato, then her stillborn sister, and now Kohaku.

'I'm now singularly responsible for the demise of all my siblings. What a wonderful elder sister I've turned out to be.' She thought bitterly. She already knew how she would kill herself. The upward thrust with her short blade into her own solar-plexus was the most painful end she could think of. She would bleed to death slowly, in excruciating pain.

But that was what she deserved, after a lifetime of failure at keeping her loved ones safe from harm, wasn't it?

That fraction of a second of hesitation turned out to be just enough for the hanyou to reach her. Grasping her wrist, he stopped the downward strike and pulled her away from Kohaku before admonishing her.

'Thank you, InuYasha.'

There turned out to be many things she would thank the silver-haired half-demon for over the next year or so that they traveled together, searching for the shards.

Of the jewel.

Of their broken lives.

He and the others helped her immeasurably, helped her to achieve emotional growth, to accept, to find some of those lost parts of herself. She had yet to reveal all of her past; they still didn't know about the episode with Kuwato. She was however trying to learn to trust, to love, and the monk had been quite helpful, in spite of his lechery. From her current vantage point, she couldn't imagine that she was the person she was back then. She still wasn't perfect, but she was getting better, and she would never stop trying.

That was why she hadn't hesitated for even a second in her attempt to save InuYasha, once she realized his life was in danger.

&&&&&&&

The remaining episodes of the life of Sango of the Taijiya clan flickered before her, and once she accepted that she had learned the lessons she had been born to, she acknowledged the presence once again. The feeling of intense love and happiness was so foreign to her that her giddiness actually became a concern. The presence gave her all the time she needed to adjust to these new feelings. A portal opened up then, beyond it a tunnel. The other end of the tunnel exploded into a bright light, and presently, she could see faint forms moving about. She began to move toward them via some external force, slowly at first, then faster and faster.

Soon she could see details of the figures waiting for her at the end of the tunnel. What was that? It couldn't be! There were her father, and mother, standing there holding her brother Kuwato. Others she remembered fondly were there as well. All were waiting for her with open arms. Her heart swelled in anticipation. Here it was; forgiveness and redemption were hers at last. The circle of her life was about to complete itself. She would now find the peace that eluded her those eighteen years. She would...

What was this?

Sango's movement slowed down, paused briefly, and then reversed. How? Why? She was moving now away from her loved ones, faster and faster and faster. They were getting smaller and smaller, now dots, now specs, now nothing as the tunnel imploded and collapsed before her. Neither was the calming presence anywhere to be found.

If this was a joke, it was impossibly cruel. Her orientation collapsed and she was sucked out of those spatial surroundings, through a dimension that became denser and denser, making it more and more difficult to move. There was a fraction of a second of absolute nothingness.

Then she inhaled sharply as her eyes flitted open.

Her lungs filled with... air. Gasping, blinking, and shifting her weight to get her bearings, she regarded her surroundings. Standing above her was the regal presence of the Lord of the Western Lands, a sword vibrating in his hands. He gazed upon her impassively, as if she was an insect that happened to flit past his field of vision. She knew his name. What was it?

"Sess...sho..."

All of a sudden, she felt the cold chill as her soul completed its adjustment to her physical body once more.

"But..."

Alive?

Again?

Sango's mind struggled to put everything together. She was certain she had died. But now... Wait!

Tensaiga!

He didn't... He couldn't have... Her chance at peace and happiness... gone? This was beyond cruel. This was insidious, downright evil. Tears of anguish filled her eyes as she tried to scream, but no sound emerged.

Sango then stumbled to her feet in a herky-jerky fashion, still not used to her body as her rage consumed her. Her katana was on the ground near where the first attack on Kikyo had taken place. So she drew her short blade.

And attacked Sesshomaru.

&&&&&&&

atth99: Thanks for saying that. I diverged a bit here to delve into Sango's past somewhat, as I'm finding I have a soft spot for her. I may even write a fic with her as the main character. Anyway, we'll get back to the main story next chap.

Silk Hope: Yes, he died. I see you're not too fond of Kags or Shippo. What can I say? You'll probably be disappointed because she steps up to the plate big time later on. Thanks for your comments.

Aimee: Wow! A review to die for! Readers like you make all the work worthwhile. Thank you so much!

Krazie-edge: I hope you still do, after this little side-story into Sango's past. Gracias.

AnimeGirl622: Thanks, Ashley! As you can see, Sango is back, and badder than ever! Umm, wait, that's a bad movie trailer...

Nysoku-loves-Sesshomaru: I hope you are still alive! Thank you and I hope you like this.

ShortPoet: Well, maybe a few more tears here. Please believe me, I'm not stuck in angst-mode! It picks up later on, I'm sure (double checks outline)... yeah, that's right. Anyway, Arrigatou!

AddictedtoInuyashaFics: No. Thank YOU! Hope you hang on beyond this little diversion.

Kiyana Va Sala: Beep! Wrong! Heh heh. She has her full memory, as well as that of her death experience. Now the question becomes: Is her desire for revenge against Naraku greater than the peace she found once in death, and could possibly find again? What's her motivation to keep on living if she can't save Kohaku? Is Miroku's love enough? Does he even love her the way she needs to be loved? Will she... Uh oh, this is reading like the outline for that other fic I mentioned earlier... Thanks for your comments!

Thanks to everyone else for your patience!

Next: Descent into Hell (for real!)


	6. Fight for Life?

&&&&&&&

Although her mind had not yet completely reoriented within her physical body, Sango thrust her blade with all her strength at Sesshomaru's heart. Reason erased, emotions now drove her, fueled by the outrage she felt over all that had been taken, no, ripped away.

Her parents.

Her siblings.

Her clan.

Her slender shoulders bore that weight bravely, every single day of her life.

But...

She had witnessed her dear friend Kilala's death by Kikyo's hand.

She had watched her friend InuYasha breathe his last.

Miroku, with as much as she had invested in him, had never really given her anything beyond false hope, but considering what she had been made to suffer in this life, even that was better than nothing; this too had been taken.

And now... and now…

A small chance at peace in the afterlife?

She had nothing more to give, and the demon-lord's decision had snapped her last nerve. Sango felt her mind crumbling as everything collapsed in on her at once, so she acted on pure instinct. Sesshomaru glared at the attacking girl, a snarl of impatience barely curling his lip, a look of incredulity at her boldness and impertinence. He easily dodged first one, then another of her attacks. The moonlight glinted off her blade. Sango huffed and puffed as she moved clumsily toward him once again.

"Bastard! You… you…"

Why weren't her muscles working right? She could barely take oxygen into her lungs, but she continued in herky-jerky fashion to try her best to make him suffer. To hurt him as he had hurt her. She would never be able to forgive him, so of course he had to die.

'I refuse to go on as one of his... abominations!'

She would leave this world once again, by her own hand, and try once more to find the peace that had slipped from her grasp, but not before taking him first.

"Sango!"

Kagome screamed at her friend. In a moment, all her efforts would be in vain if… if…

Sesshomaru dodged another attack, appearing as if by magic thirty feet away, next to Kagome, in the blink of an eye. He spoke coolly, but there was an edge to his voice that was unmistakable. For a frozen moment, their eyes met, his intent quite clear.

"Young miko, I have met your request. By her actions, this girl does not wish to remain among the living. I have no time for this, nor do you. Restrain her immediately, or she shall meet death once more."

This was all happening so fast! Kagome's heart pounded and her ears rang with the rapid sequence of events.

"Wait, please!"

She turned then, hoping the monk could somehow help diffuse the situation.

"Miroku!"

Kagome shouted before she realized that the monk had sped past her, heading for Sango as fast as he could run. The shock of seeing the peacefully sleeping warrior reanimated had by now worn off, and he had leaped into action at the sight of her, alive. Sango, still single-mindedly bent upon causing the tai-youkai's demise, saw Miroku's movement out of the corner of her eye, but it was as a blur. Her mind, warped within its own unique reality, quickly categorized him as simply another minor impediment to be disposed of, one that could prevent her from completing her deadly mission no more than might a gnat.

Sesshomaru turned back to the advancing Sango and grasped Tokijin. He would grant this girl her death-wish, then, if necessary, force the miko to revive his brother, even if he had to resort to taking one of her remaining friends hostage in order to do so. It was a crass, distasteful act, most certainly beneath him, and he didn't desire for Rin to witness it, but InuYasha must not be allowed to die now. Every second counted. His younger brother _had_ to live.

Sesshomaru drew Tokijin just as Miroku intercepted her. The monk threw himself between them just as Sango's horizontal slicing strike found the space where Sesshomaru was, then was not. Miroku's staff caught most of the blow. However, he still received a deep gash in his upper arm as a result of her attempt to slit the dog-demon's throat. He shut the pain out of his mind as he tried his best to throw his arms around her.

"Sango, stop it! What are you doing?"

Only then could he look upon her face and see the heart-wrenching mix of misery and rage it displayed. As her heart retched its sorrow, each gush of tears made new tracks down her cheeks. And Sango almost never cried. Her eyes stared blankly, looking right through him. He became even more concerned for her, then.

'What _is_ this? Has she witnessed something from beyond the bounds and come back touched by madness in some way?'

In spite of the pain in his arm, he wrestled with her, trying his best to get her to the ground, a difficult task as she was normally much stronger than he. Even in her current weakened state, she continually twisted and slipped from his grasp using a combination of Judo and Aikido escape moves that were second-nature to her. Her focus on her task blinded her to all else, even though in the deep recesses of her mind she now processed faint recognition of something familiar about this scent... this voice... this touch. Memories of their comforting influence began to float up to her consciousness. There were strong feelings connected to those memories. It was… it was…

No!

This restraining force, whatever it was, whoever it was, would not stay her hand in slaying the dog-demon.

"Sango! It's me! Sango… can you..?"

Did she even recognize him? Miroku frowned in confusion but remained undaunted. He grasped her by her shoulder armor and held on for dear life. He would not give Sesshomaru the chance to take her from him. The demon lord observed the struggle and immediately understood the monk's intent, exhaling an audible breath before sheathing Tokijin. Next, faster than the eye could follow, he was upon the two of them, and disarmed Sango in a flash, grasping her by the wrist until she dropped her weapon. Merely closing his grasp another fraction of an inch would have released the killing poison into her system, but he exercised great restraint and control as he understood now that the monk was important to Kagome, and the taijiya was at least as important to the monk, if not more. This situation could perhaps be salvaged after all.

Miroku took the opportunity to pull a temporarily surprised Sango off balance, taking them both to the ground in a heap with her on her back, and him on top of her. Sesshomaru momentarily examined her weapon, raising an eyebrow in what might have been read as mild contempt or disgust before discarding the blade, embedding it into the trunk of a tree twenty feet away with a mere flick of his wrist. He then turned to walk over to Kagome and Kaede, wanting to get on with the business at hand, convinced the monk could by now handle the subdued taijiya.

But Sango was a demon-slayer, and even unarmed, a formidable fighter. Once she realized that she lost her blade, she grasped Miroku's robes by the shoulders and, folding her knees beneath her, flipped him up in the air over her head. He landed on his back with a thud, knocking the air out of him. With every breath she took during the battle, fresh oxygen returned more and more of her strength and agility. Now that the monk was no longer in her way, she placed her palms on the ground near her ears, elbows pointing up, and thrust her hips and legs upward, flipping forward in the air to land on her feet.

Where?

Where was he..?

There.

"Don't you turn your back on _me_!"

She screamed at the demon lord as she attacked anew, prepared to leap onto his back, her single thought that she could strangle him with her bare hands, or die trying. Sesshomaru stopped walking toward the two mikos and turned his head in time to witness her feet leave the ground as she leaped at him. Miroku had by now scrambled to his feet, but the distance between them was too great. His breath caught in his throat. Kagome silently mouthed her name; she too was speechless as these new events unfolded.

Everyone saw the razor-sharp canine appear as the snarl raised his upper lip.

Oh no!

As time slowed to a crawl, Sango's impending death played out in front of everyone's eyes. Of course she would be cut down before she ever reached Sesshomaru.

"Rowwwrrrrr."

At the very last moment, just before the demon-slayer would have been sent once again from this life, Kilala threw herself between Sango and Sesshomaru, effectively knocking the girl to the ground as the taijiya bounced off the cat's broad side. For a third time today, Sesshomaru withheld a killing strike, clearly not something he was used to. The big cat then fell upon Sango and held the struggling girl down with both paws. The blow seemed to have an unexpected effect as Sango's eyes now flashed recognition.

"Kilala... alive?"

Kilala's soothing purr rumbled up from her chest as she then tilted her head to lick Sango's face, trying the best way she knew to ease her friend's distress. The others reached them. Sango blinked as she slowly came to her senses.

"M... Miroku?"

The monk exhaled audibly as his anxiety was immediately replaced with relief. He extended his hand and grasped hers. Kilala then moved, allowing Sango to sit upright. The neko-youkai still remained seated behind the demon-slayer, nuzzling her. Miroku grasped Sango's other hand and brought his face very close to hers, looking deep into her eyes.

"Sango, are you all right?"

"I... I don't... I'm not sure... what..?"

"Sango, I'm so relieved." Kagome grasped an elbow, helping her to stand. Something then occurred to Sango.

"InuYasha! Where..?"

She turned, searching frantically for him before spotting his body, right where he had fallen. The sight of him lying there brought back all the memories of the battle with Kikyo, and Sango's knees buckled.

"I'm sorry. Kagome... I'm so sorry. I couldn't help him. I tried... I..."

She was about to break down once more, but Kagome hugged her tightly, her own voice trembling with emotion as she spoke.

"I know you did, Sango. Please don't blame yourself. You were not the one who took his life. We may still be able to save him..."

"May we now proceed? I grow increasingly weary."

Sesshomaru's voice cut the reunion short, demanding immediate attention. Kagome broke her embrace with Sango, and walked back over to the demon lord. Sango looked at him, an unreadable expression on her face, but said nothing. Miroku hooked his arm around hers, and Kilala, now reverted to her small form, bounded up to nestle in her other arm. The monk then led her to the edge of the clearing, whereupon he looked up and called out.

"Shippo, it's o.k. You can come down now."

"Sango! I'm so glad you're back!"

With a squeak of relief, the fox-demon pup dropped out of the tree he was hiding in to land on Miroku's shoulder, causing the monk to wince as it aggravated the cut he had recently received. Sango looked at his arm then, as the sleeve of the robe had turned crimson where the blade had cut.

"Did... did I do that?"

"It's all right."

"No! Let me see it!" She helped him gingerly extract his arm from the sleeve.

Kagome had by now reached the tai-youkai.

"Arrigatou, Sesshomaru-sama..." She bowed in deference.

'...for bringing her back and for not taking her life once again.'

Her eyes met his again, and she was relieved that the look of imminent destruction she had witnessed before was now gone.

"What do you require of me?"

"One moment."

He called for his loyal retainer.

"Jaken!"

"Yes, m'lord!"

The wind had picked up and it had grown cooler since Sesshomaru and his party had arrived. The moon cast it's rays upon them in an eerie, chilly fashion.

"Retrieve the travel pack from Ah-Un, and remove two blankets. Wrap Rin in one and bring the other to me."

"At once, m'lord."

He turned to Kaede.

"Elder miko..."

Lady Kaede had lived a long life, and had fought off many malevolent demons as part of her life-mission, but her breath caught in her throat as the golden eyes of the dog-god bored into her. It was as if he were searching through each of the many secrets she had held close to her breast until he found the one he desired. She was suddenly almost afraid to answer him.

"Y... yes, my lord?"

"The ashes of the ogre, Urasue... retrieve them at once." He said with certainty and conviction.

"But... but how...?"

He cocked his head at her hesitation.

"Yes. Of course, Lord Sesshomaru. I shall retrieve them for you."

&&&&&&&

A/N: Again, I never intended for this to be as much about Sango as it turned out, but this is how this fic is writing itself...

Anyway, Kagome really does get to Hell to save you-know-who... next.

Cynical Chaos: My attempt at getting inside InuYasha's head in earlier chapters helped when I tried to work with Sango here and in the last chap. I hope it helps when I finally get to Kagome, who knows she has feelings for IY, but is not sure of their depth. Action sequences I have no problem with; as a writer, my weakness is still introspection. Anyway, thanks for your comments, as always.

kagomefire: Yeah, angst I'm kinda good at as well. You'll find out why Sess is frantic that his brother be returned to him soon. At least in the early eps of the anime, Kikyo was portrayed as selfish, and I tried to capture that here. In later eps, she almost has a heart of gold. If anybody can make a character OOC, I guess it's the creators. Thanks for your comments.

AriznGlori: Sorry this took so long. Hope you like where it's going. Like I said, angst and tragedy just come naturally to me for some reason. It's the other emotional dimensions I need to work on. Thanks.

atth99: Thank you. What happened to "The New Neighbor"?

ShortPoet: Architect Mies van der Rohe once said "God is in the details.", and I'm trying to add detail with each posting, although sometimes I get frustrated and post before it's quite "right". Don't watch "Buffy", so I'll take your word on that comparison, but the Vandread quote is right on. So hoping you're feeling much better than before... what... last May? (ehh, I've been busy...). I probably won't go much further with Sango here, this is still about Kagome and InuYasha (really!), but she is such a wonderful character, I'll probably devote a fic to her sometime in the future. Hope to see your latest submission soon!

Krazie-edge: dat's koreckt...

Silk Hope: thanks for your kind comments. I'm really trying with the cliffs, but sometimes...

Kiyana Va Sala: Who? Where? Identity theft! Anyway, she won't die again in this fic... And when are you gonna update, anyway?

Live la Vida Loca!

W.


	7. Descent

&&&&&&&

She was tired.

Although she never complained, ever providing them as much support in their quest as she could, she had become weary. She had lived a long life, and during that lifetime had experienced a great many significant events. Often tragic and brutal, sometimes tender, sublime and wondrous, she had lived it all. War, pestilence, demonic aggression, she had survived through all of these, even though she had often been victimized as well. The evil that men could contain within their hearts, as they clutched onto what they had with one hand, even as they grasped for what they did not have with the other, often astonished her. And then there were the youkai, who, for every one that was neutral or benevolent toward the lesser races of men and beast, there seemed at least a dozen who would exterminate them without hesitation if they could.

She had glimpsed the face of death as it passed through and about her life while it did its work, taking those it had come for even as it nodded its silent acknowledgment of her, that acknowledgment laden with the promise that it would one day come for her.

She could now feel that day approaching.

Her aging body had issued various warnings for some time now; she would pass from this world, soon, she knew, leaving behind all those of the various villages in the region who had depended upon her for so long. Their very survival would now be an issue.

It was one of the reasons she was gratified to have met Kagome, one of the most talented young priestesses she had ever had the opportunity to instruct. Excepting Kikyo, Kagome was growing into the most earnest and knowledgeable miko she had ever met. One of her dearest desires was that the girl, once her mission was completed, would recognize that there were those here, in this time, that were in desperate need of her talents. She hoped that Kagome, after listening to her heart, would heed the call of duty, despite those forces from the future that pulled her back in that direction.

Should the girl decide to remain in the Warring States era when her quest was complete, those men, women and most importantly, children, would all be the better for it.

Her sixty-plus years upon this earth had not all been fraught with darkness and decay, however. On the other side of the spectrum, Kaede had seen numerous winters turn into the most gorgeous of springs as the earth renewed itself. She had witnessed the birth of, indeed helped along into this world, many, many children. The journal she kept detailed as much of the stuff of her life as she either could remember, or find the time to document.

She had become a priestess in order to follow the path her sister had taken, mindful of the ever-present pitfalls strewn along that path, particularly the one that had led to Kikyo's death. She had avoided men as had been the requirement of the life she had chosen, and it had at times been difficult during her ascent into womanhood, because even with an eye-patch, she had grown into a quite comely young woman.

Not ever as stunning as Kikyo had been, she had, however, matured with much of her sister's grace. The young men had approached her, knowing even as they did what she had committed to, yet had forwarded more than a few proposals. She truthfully admitted to herself that a few of them had given her pause, and her personal journal contained within its pages all of the futile pleadings of her trembling heart at those times, because as much as her emotions desired for her to make it real, her mind knew that none of those pairings would ever come to fruition. Always, during those times when the desire for a mate got to be too much to bear, when she was just about to give in to her heart, the morality tale of the cursed romance between her sister and the hanyou returned to haunt her. He, pinned to a tree in a death-like state, she, struck down in the prime of her existence, those images remained locked within the recesses of her mind to this day.

No. She would give her life in selfless service to others. Perhaps she would find love in the next life.

After years of training, of sacrifice, of committing to her study, she had become quite proficient at her art. She had learned the basics from her sister, and, after that one's demise, the venerable Lady Otori. Ward spells, barriers of many kinds, containment spells, healing, all of these had been mastered, and now had consumed Kaede's life, as she accepted the mantle of her responsibility.

Recent events, however, now tested those years of experience to their limits. What she had just witnessed, she could never have even contemplated. The emotional impact of life followed by death followed by life, in such a short span of time was difficult even for her to process. She had met, and even defeated powerful youkai during her life, but the unearthly, god-like presence of this great Tai-youkai affected her in ways she had not ever experienced before.

They, all of them, walked the razor's edge, and could fall off at any time. She tried to stop her hands from shaking and to breathe slowly and evenly as she gazed upon Sango, who, even now, made no move to leave the houshi's embrace. The taijiya continued to observe Sesshomaru from over Miroku's shoulder, even now finding it difficult to trust the one who had given her back her life. Kaede wondered if...

"Miko, I suggest you move with greater haste."

From that proximity, and detecting within that smooth baritone the thinly veiled command, Lady Kaede came quickly back to the present from her bout of reverie, to the fulfillment of her duty.

"Sumi-masen, Sesshomaru-sama."

She then bowed to the great lord and turned to retreat toward the hut as quickly as her legs could move her. Sango then called out to her.

"Kilala can get you there much faster, Kaede-san."

Kaede turned toward Sango's voice and nodded her thanks. Kilala mewed, and then transformed into her beast neko-youkai form once she understood her mistress' intention. The taijiya, even now finding more and more of her strength and coordination with each breath, gently extricated herself from the houshi's grasp, much to his anxiety and trepidation. She had already bound the wound in his arm with a strip of cloth torn from his robe, intending to properly clean and bind it in more appropriate fashion when this episode was over.

The scar on his arm.

She had cut him on more than one occasion, and even now, as she glanced upon the thin line across his left cheek, she winced as she remembered that she gave him that scar when the salamander demon had possessed her. Then, as now, he had tried his best to keep her from injury. Today, she had drawn his blood again, even as he tried to protect her, again.

The scar on his heart.

It went much deeper than the cursed hole in his hand. She ground her teeth in frustration as she considered how they had danced around each other thus far. He was normally a clear-headed man, but when it came to her, he would vacillate between hope and dejection, hope that he could someday be good enough to deserve her attentions, dejection whenever he contemplated the curse that each day was one day closer to taking his life. He couldn't bring himself to say what she couldn't say either, and they had been stalemated.

But his actions spoke with much greater volume than his words to her ever did. He loved her, and she could feel it. His actions today only added additional confirmation. She had been given another chance at life for a reason, and she knew instinctively that he was a huge part of that reason. They would be together after this, of that she was now certain, and she would give him all the children he could handle. Neither would any of their sons would have a hole in his hand, because they were going to destroy Naraku, together. It was all coming together in Sango's mind. Their future.

Together.

She now moved to Kilala and helped the elder miko to settle onto the big cat, her eyes never leaving Sesshomaru. Her natural instincts warned her to still not trust him. Kilala then took to the sky, heading back to the hut. The great lord had by now moved to where his brother's body lay, and grasping the red haori by the collar, lifted InuYasha's body from the ground with one hand, much as a mother cat picked up one of its litter by the scruff of the neck. The others gasped.

"InuYasha…"

Kagome's breath hitched upon seeing him in this state, her heart now fighting against imprisonment in a small dark ring of fear, even as she prepared herself mentally to fight for his return to life.

In that life, he had been always animated, ever in motion, unless he was recuperating from an injury, and even then he fidgeted about with that barely contained energy and spontaneity that marked his personality. The color of his clothing, that deep red, abridged the image of the running, leaping, fighting, and even eating, hanyou. Now that color stood in stark contrast to his inert form, the irony shouting at her.

Perhaps it was all the blood he had shed during his short lifetime in the search for the jewel, for himself, for his destiny. From the first time she had met him, when Yura had tried to cut him to pieces, up until now, he had shed much of his own blood in battle, and not just for his own personal gain. His complaints to her to the contrary, he never failed to leap into the fray when others were in desperate need of help, and his reward was often tinged with that same color, that vibrant hue, when he came back to heal his wounds. Perhaps this very red, the color of his life's blood, mocked her even as she held fast to the glimmer of hope this was not truly the end of his life.

If all this was nothing more than a dream, then when she awakened, he would open his eyes and start to yell at her for some silly reason or other, right? Her heartbeat quickened at that thought and she clutched at her chest. She glanced up at his older brother, who now carefully wrapped InuYasha's body in order to keep it warm, before securing him under his arm. He spoke.

"It is better if we leave this place."

For a fraction of a second, he turned his head to her and their eyes locked. She swore she saw a look of tenderness alight upon those sharp features; his brow had furrowed for just that brief moment, and that... was that a look of concern, of... regret? That look caused her gut to twist. This was not the look of one who was glad to see his sibling dead.

It was all her fault that this had happened. The wave of guilt over her ill-chosen words again resurfaced, and she squinted at its intensity, even as she tried to choke it back down.

"Sesshomaru-sama..." She whispered.

Sesshomaru was indeed looking at her, but just now, he was not really _seeing_ her. His brilliant mind normally processed thoughts with incredible speed and efficiency, allowing him to compare and contrast various conclusions, then plan and execute his actions quite quickly and easily. Outwardly, he moved through life at what would appear to others to be a smooth, leisurely pace. Pure, Aristotelian logic, he had learned, combined with extremely detailed empirical analysis of events and surroundings yielded the correct answers time and again. As a being of near mythic status and power, he had collated and applied these results to nearly every situation he encountered thus far.

These current thoughts, screaming now through his mind unbidden, were heavy laden with emotion. They multiplied quickly, fueling an ever-growing urgency as the weight of each passing second pressed itself upon him. Even now, he could smell the effects of rigor-mortis taking over his brother's body, and the fear, the horror, even, of running out of time began to clutch at him.

_He was among the most powerful and deadly of the Tai-youkai lords to rule the earth dominion_.

The insult he had suffered when his father decided to entrust Tetsusaiga to his brother instead of to him, indeed, InuTaishou had gone so far as to have hidden it, had made him the subject of rampant speculation among the other youkai royalty, and his reputation had been injured to quite a degree. His only conclusion then was that his father had to have been rendered insane to even consider taking that action. Even though none dared confront him directly, rumors sparked and flew, but he conducted himself as befit his station among that royalty, and he bore that burden well.

The loss of his left arm had been excruciatingly painful, physically and psychologically. Even now, it was a constant reminder to all who knew him of the loss he had suffered at the hands of his brother. Again, none dared speak of it in his presence, but he could see in their eyes the looks of astonishment, of confusion, and in some who were bolder, of disdain and even ridicule. But he bore that as well. As Lord of the Western Lands, _impetuous_ was not an option, particularly with youkai that were his equal in stature and power.

He grunted now his frustration, that sound almost inaudible, at his inability to control all of the external factors surrounding current events. This odd and quite different feeling he tried his best to subdue, because he feared that failure to do so would expose parts of his persona to these humans, parts that _no one _was ever to have access to.

_'InuYasha_. _What_ _have you done?_'

This was exasperating. Did not his will become manifest at the speed of thought? As the emotional assault whipped at his attempts to remain detached, all anyone would ever see would be his upper lip tremble slightly over his left canine.

'I need their cooperation in order to succeed; I must continue to remind myself of this.'

His power and ability, when at their peaks, were almost unparalleled, anywhere. Whether he moved amongst man, beast or oni, all yielded to his approach, and bowed in reverence. Or they paid the ultimate price. Jaken had witnessed this first hand, many times.

He was _Shiva, the Destroyer_, when he walked his lands, his universe, reducing anyone or thing in his path to less than dust beneath his feet.

His powerful claws had shredded and torn and poisoned, leaving behind gruesome remains; his fangs had tasted the blood of countless victims he had defeated in close combat. He had personally looked into the eyes of many an enemy at the moment their lives departed this plane. Terrible, beautiful power he possessed, in almost unlimited quantity.

Yet one small girl had discovered and now clutched onto the key to his most secret heart. What she had taught him in the short time they had been together was quite intriguing, if somewhat confusing and disorienting. But he would explore those unknown, blind parts of himself as often as she exposed them, because he was at all times ruthlessly honest with himself. He glanced over at Rin, who had by now found Shippo, holding onto his hand as the two of them observed the events. She might never know the impact she had on the great lord's life.

He could easily have killed his brother at any time before this, yet in each battle, when the window of opportunity presented itself, he had stayed the death-blow. This had occurred more times than he cared to admit. Mastery of Tokijin had granted him even greater destructive capacity, yet he repeatedly hesitated in taking his brother's life. Surely, InuYasha's death would be the solution to most all of his problems, wouldn't it?

InuYasha, half-breed that he was, had displayed a remarkable growth in skill and ability each time Sesshomaru had fought against him. During those battles, through the sometimes blind rage the elder brother felt against his low-born kin, this creature spat from the illicit union of his father and that damned woman, this abomination who should not have been allowed to live the younger continued to surprise, even shock him. Certainly, much of his brother's improvement could be attributed to his success against the other youkai he and his group fought as they sought to recover the entire jewel, and their skirmishes with Naraku had also helped to grow InuYasha's competence as a fighter.

But there was something else.

Each time he spotted the opening, the defensive lapse through which he could take that one's life, he also saw InuYasha's determination, his courage in the face of almost certain death, his unquenchable desire to break through, to transcend his current circumstance in order to claim his birthright. That fierce desire, to reach the lofty levels of his father and brother, despite his tainted blood, intrigued Sesshomaru. He had begun to ask himself if even he could bear the life his brother had, were they to trade places.

He had been given everything by InuTaishou, and InuYasha had been given nothing save the Tetsusaiga, and the very blood that ran through his veins. That blood pumped through a heart that was perhaps even larger than Sesshomaru's own, and this mystified the great lord. The order of the world was what it was, yet InuYasha continued to try to rise above his station to become something greater, and he repeatedly risked death to do so.

That the dead miko had taken his life so quickly meant that something significant had transpired, to cause him to give up, to abandon everything so carelessly. Sesshomaru would find out those details eventually.

But now, this girl, this human girl...

What was it about her, this girl who stood before him in her uncertainty, her fear? Indeed, he could smell it, in spite of her bravado. This young miko, and the way she now waited to give up her life for his brother without hesitation, why? She knew almost nothing of what she would face, yet she willingly committed to the single most selfless act one can perform for another. Yes, this was the girl who threw herself across that one's prone form, daring Sesshomaru to come any nearer, even though he could have ended her life in the time it took to twitch an eyebrow. But she possessed tremendous raw power, as she was also the one who pulled Tetsusaiga when neither he nor his brother could, so there _was_ something special about her.

Confessing her love for him as she had today had given the great lord pause. The two were so different, so how..? He sniffed the air again, separating her scent from the others, trying to detect the thing that was different, special about her. He would have to think on this a bit more, after his brother returned to them, _to him_.

&&&&&&&

Kaede replaced the plank that covered the hidden space where she kept her valuable items. She had obtained the folded parchment that held Urusue's ash remains and turned to leave when Kagome, Sango and Miroku entered the hut, much to her surprise. Kilala had gone back to retrieve her other friends.

"Oh! I didn't..."

Even more surprising to her then was Sesshomaru poking his head into the hut, quickly examining the interior before entering, his brother's body held fast under his arm. He gently set the body upon the floor as Jaken entered along with Rin and Shippo.

"Place the ashes there."

He wasted no time as he indicated to the elder miko by pointing to a spot in the corner of the room. Kaede did as instructed, then stepped back. Sesshomaru pointed Tensaiga at the parchment, and presently the sword resonated as it did its work. Wisps of mist began to form over the spot, and soon the ghostly visage of the old witch appeared, becoming clearer and clearer with each passing second, yet still remaining slightly transparent, with no depth or solidity. Without her physical body to return to, since Kikyo had burned it, this was as close to the corporeal state as she could get. She blinked those hideously large eyes at first in confusion, and then spewed.

"Who dares disturb my rest?"

Sesshomaru answered calmly.

"I do."

Urusue paused then as she examined the dog-lord for a moment.

"I know you. Lord Sesshomaru, if I recall. Yes, son of InuTaishou of the dog clan. So, it seems that clan has grown more powerful if you can perform magic such as this."

Sesshomaru responded as if he hadn't even heard her comments.

"Witch, I have need of your skills. You once revived the priestess Kikyo. She has departed this plane once more, and I wish to know her exact whereabouts."

The ogre observed him calmly, then looked about the room, glancing at InuYasha's body, then at Kagome, then the others present.

"I see. The other dog is dead, and you want to find the one who took him. You there, young priestess, your soul is still strong. I can feel it, even in this state. Too bad my plans for you did not come to fruition, or..."

Sesshomaru interrupted.

"Silence, witch! I have told you once of the purpose behind your resurrection. You will give me..."

Urusue now seethed.

"I will do no such thing! You are the dog here. Sniff out her whereabouts yourself. Think you that I am but a pawn to be used by the likes of you?"

The markings on the sides of Sesshomaru's face began to grow. A snarl now revealed both canines. The ogre continued her tirade.

"I was the great Urusue. In my lifetime, my powers were known across this land, and many feared me. Of those who did not, I put a fair number beneath the ground. How dare you. I do not the bidding of a lowly dog, no matter who he believes himself to be. What care I if the bastard half-dog remains dead? You would do well to send me back to my peaceful slumber."

She then laughed with an unnerving cackle.

Sesshomaru's eyes were taking on a reddish hue.

"Jaken. Remove Rin and the kit at once."

"Ahh... yes, m'lord. Come now, you two. The master has spoken, and we must not hesitate."

The imp ushered the two children outside. The demon lord turned to the ogre once more.

"You seem to not be aware of your place, witch."

"Fool. What can you... Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!"

Faster than the eye could behold, Tokijin was drawn, and a bolt of black energy crackled and shot forth from Goshinki's tooth, sealing the witch within strands of that energy.

And then it literally cooked her to a sizzle within that space, turning her visage to smoke. Her screams of agony ricocheted about the hut, causing even Sango to cover her ears.

Sesshomaru then immediately invoked Tensaiga, and the witch appeared, resurrected once more, gasping and shaking.

"But... how?"

The dog-lord presented the tip of Tokijin to her once more.

"No! No more. I will do as you ask."

&&&&&&&

"Miko, place the shards you have gathered within your palm."

Kagome removed the vial from around her neck and emptied the contents into her hand as Miroku and Sango looked on from one corner of the hut, while Lady Kaede and Urusue observed from the far side. Sesshomaru then took her hand and closed it into a fist.

"Now, focus with as much intensity as you can on the jewel fragments in your hand."

Kagome felt the shards vibrating, then her eyes opened wide when she felt something else happening.

The shards were combining into a small, round jewel.

"But... how?"

"Your own powers destroyed the original jewel. Think on it. How could a mere arrow shatter the Shikon-no-Tama? No, miko. You are exceedingly powerful, in spite of your ignorance of that fact. You should not be surprised that you could create one at will"

Sesshomaru gazed at the shocked miko.

"I never... I never thought that..."

"Give the jewel to me."

"Yes."

"Now, remove your clothing."

"What?"

"I must place this jewel back into your body, however, it must be contaminated first, or you would be in heaven mere moments after I took your life."

Tokijin's demonic energy turned the jewel almost black within seconds. Understanding, and not wanting to waste any more time, Kagome did as he instructed, even as Miroku turned away, fighting against his lechery. His eyes found Sango's soft brown ones, however, and she interlaced her fingers into his, giving a gentle squeeze.

A promise of..?

Kagome knew what her mission demanded, yet she still blushed profusely as she stood before the great lord, now clad only in her underwear. InuYasha had seen her in the altogether at least once or twice, lastly when she had stepped out of Tougenkyo's bath. And, well, when InuYasha had rushed through the doorway and gazed upon her, she had...

But now, Sesshomaru...

She swallowed audibly as her hands moved to the elastic of her briefs, but before she could do anything, he spoke.

"That is enough. The scar is visible. You need not disrobe any further. Lie here, next to him."

Kagome closed her eyes and huffed a sigh of relief, then did as he instructed. Sesshomaru knelt and examined her abdomen, his proximity causing her to shiver. She squinted and tried to ignore the fact that she was nearly naked and he was practically on top of her. Particularly distracting was the fact that, when he leaned in for a closer look, strands of his beautiful silver hair fell forward to caress her belly. Then there was the most intoxicating scent emanating from him. She turned her head so as to not look him in the eye, should he look up at her from his position of examination. Begging her body to not respond, she gasped when she felt the razor-sharp claw of his index finger trace the line of her scar.

"Miko, I'm afraid that this will be somewhat uncomfortable."

"Please, Sesshomaru-sama. It's Kagome."

"All right. Kagome. I do this because I must."

She reached for and clutched InuYasha's hand, interlacing her fingers with his, preparing. Careful, lest he poison her, Sesshomaru ran his claw deep across the scar, opening the wound. Kagome suppressed a shriek. Immediately, he pressed the blackened jewel into place, then cauterized the wound with Tokijin's heat. She hadn't lost much blood. Turning to the ogre, he commanded.

"Now, invoke your spell."

Urusue began to chant, a spell similar to the one that originally found Kikyo's wandering soul and bound it to part of Kagome's. This spell would place the girl in fairly close proximity to Kikyo when she met the next world. And wherever Kikyo was, there too would be InuYasha. Kagome squeezed the hand she held even more tightly.

"I'm coming for you, InuYasha. Please hold on!"

Before she could contemplate the even greater pain that was coming, Sesshomaru thrust Tokijin right through her ribs, piercing her heart. She arched her back in agony, eyes rolling up into their sockets. Her mouth opened in shock, but this time no sound emerged. Tokijin injected its evil essence into the rest of her body, resisting her unconscious attempts to purify it. The pain was so great that she began to jerk spasmodically. But she swore she would be strong, no matter what, and so she fought bravely against the pain, as well as the fear of death, itself. The corners of her vision grew dim.

'InuYasha...'

The blackness took her.

&&&&&&&

After removing his sword from her body, Sesshomaru stood, then placed part of the blanket that covered his brother over Kagome.

'Everything depends upon you, now, mik... Kagome.'

Now they would wait. Tensaiga would alert him when they were close. He needed to see Rin now.

Sesshomaru took two steps toward the door of the hut, then staggered before he fell to one knee.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" Kaede reached him first.

He looked at her as if he had never seen her before, then his eyes closed, and he pitched forward, landing with a thud on the floor.

"What is the meaning of this?" Kaede asked.

Urusue finally spoke.

"The Shikon-no-Tama is a creation of the gods themselves. As I personally learned, they are not mocked, demanding of the utmost respect. The fool was but a dog-demon playing in the garden of those he could barely contemplate, with the power over death itself stolen by InuTaishou. The jewel has taken him as well for the sins of his father."

Miroku spoke.

"But why now?"

"Is this your greatest worry? What fools you mortals be. The other hanyou will soon arrive, as the jewel calls for the remaining parts of itself."

"Naraku!" Kaede muttered.

"You are correct miko. The remaining shards will come soon enough, along with the beasts who have them embedded within their bodies."

Miroku and Sango looked at each other.

"Kouga! If he finds Kagome dead..."

"The king of the Southern Wolf clan will be the least of your worries. Once Naraku arrives, the jewel will seek to reassemble itself, and will pull back the part embedded in Kagome's body. If she has not recaptured InuYasha's soul by then, she might perhaps survive, but he will be gone for good."

Sango, moving now with her characteristic quickness, pulled Tokijin from Sesshomaru's prone form and was at the old witch instantly.

"Devil! Why didn't you tell us this sooner!"

Urusue was unafraid, now that Sesshomaru had been subdued.

"The dog's mind was made up. He seeks his brother's life for his own selfish reasons. His pride has damned him. I will not suffer fools. He knew that this could happen just as he knew that only the young miko could hope to revive his brother."

With that, the ogre laughed a hacking, coughing laugh as her visage began to turn to mist.

"Would that I could remain, as a fly upon the wall, to witness the carnage that will soon be upon you."

Those were her last words as she disappeared completely.

&&&&&&&

The leader of the Southern Wolf clan ground his teeth down upon a piece of mint he had been chewing and spat the juice as one would tobacco. Kagura had once again eluded him. Kouga scanned the heavens for any sign of her feather.

"That conniving bitch. I'll get my hands on her soon enough, and then I'll kill her..."

His attention then turned; he sniffed the air as a familiar scent separated itself from all the others.

"What the...Kagome..."

"What did you say, Kouga?"

Ginta asked from a few meters away. He had been digging for roots, as he and Hakkaku hadn't eaten in days.

"Kagome's bleeding..."

Kouga quickly looked up at the crescent moon.

"... and it's not yet time for her cycle..."

He put everything together.

"Shit! That dog-dunce must have screwed up again. If she's hurt badly, I'll take his head for sure. Then, I'll..."

Ginta and Hakkaku never heard the rest of the threat as the whirlwind that was the leader of the Wolf-clan could by now barely be seen in the distance.

Hakkaku looked at Ginta.

"Here we go again..."

"Kouga! Wait for us!"

&&&&&&

Searing heat.

That was the first thing Kagome noticed as her consciousness awakened in this dark dimension. Her skin felt like it someone was drawing sandpaper across it. The next thing that struck her was the effort it took for her to move, even to lift a finger.

'What the... '

She looked about the desolate surroundings, the dark starless sky lit with the streaks of flames, seemingly shot from enormous flamethrowers she couldn't see, the horizon littered with volcanoes belching noxious fumes that burned her eyes. Turning to her left, she noticed a massive gate that separated fifty meter high walls. It somehow reminded her about the movie she and her school friends had seen about that giant ape. It was about two-hundred meters away, and, with nothing else on the landscape that looked as inviting, she decided to make for it.

She took one agonizing step, feeling like she weighed at least a thousand pounds here. Her lungs were already aching from the burning gasses she inhaled. Then she remembered InuYasha, and worked even harder to move faster. Huffing and puffing, she plodded along at what seemed a snails pace, not appearing to get any closer to the gate at all.

Then she heard it.

"Nooooo! Somebody help meeeeee!"

Following that harrowing plea, a single, thin high-pitched whine met her ears, followed by another, then blood-curdling howls. Turning stiffly to look behind her, she gasped in terror as she saw the first of them leap over the low hill that was about three hundred meters away. It stumbled slightly when it hit the ground, but recovered quickly. The others then appeared, following the leader, all moving in her direction at high speed. Whatever had happened to that other poor soul, they had sniffed her scent, and were now coming for her. Nor did she have anything she could use as a weapon with which to defend herself. She froze.

'Kami-sama...'

Enormous black mastiffs, each at least five feet tall at the shoulder, the Hounds of Hell advanced upon her with frightening speed, now two hundred meters away, now one hundred and fifty, now one hundred. Yellow eyes searching frantically for the source of the scent now locked onto her, and they literally knocked each other about in order to get to her first. The red stuff dripping from their jaws was human blood, she simply knew, and she was their next intended kill. Kagome counted seven in all. When they reached her, they would tear her to shreds.

The jewel throbbed painfully in her side.

**&&&&&&&**

A/N: He recovers! I was so ticked off after losing the "first" final version of chapter 7 that I pulled an (almost) all-nighter to get this out. Anyway...

Hanyou-demoness: You will see what she has to face in Hell (as "D" of Vampire Hunter D says, "It begins...").

Kariko: Thank you. The humor is over. Pain and suffering and horror take the stage now.

Ath99: O.k!

ShortPoet: Yes, the last chapter was a "quick, little one", but this one is not! You will find out why it is so important to Sess that InuYasha live in an upcoming chapter, and that's all I'll say for now. Funny, how he can kill without any remorse on the one claw, yet protect Rin on the other. It makes him so interesting, and I guess to the fangirls, good looks aren't a bad thing either...

Kiyana Va Sala: Only about a 6 month wait or so... but here it is! Ja ne!

Krazie-edge: Sango is much better now! Miroku is not getting away from her anytime soon. And I don't think he wants to.

Cynical Chaos: I might just create my own mythology as far as Hell is concerned. After all, there is no new thing under the sun, ne?

Thanks to all for reading.

Ciao!

W.


End file.
